Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Rheumatoid Arthritis It began seven years ago when Sandra woke up and was getting out bed. She went to stand up and she felt this severe pain in both of her feet. When she looked at her feet they were swollen and bluish red and warm to the touch. She could not understand what was happening. At first she thought she might have frozen her feet. But as time went by she started to get lumps on the bottom of her feet so she went to see the doctor. The doctor did some tests and he diagnosed Sandra with having a disease called rheumatoid arthritis though it was a mild case at the time. Over the past seven years it has became more severe, even doing little day- to- day jobs has become more difficult. Rheumatoid arthritis can be a crippling disease that causes painful swelling and stiffness that mainly affects the wrists and fingers but it can also affect other areas of the body (The Arthritis Society, 2001). The Statistics from the Canadian Arthritis Society say it affects 300,000 Canadians, that is 1 in 10 will develop rheumatoid arthritis. This paper will discuss what rheumatoid arthritis is, some of the treatment for this disease and lifestyle changes that people can make to live a better with rheumatoid arthritis. What is rheumatoid arthritis? Doctors do not know what exactly causes rheumatoid arthritis, but rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating disease that has several special features that makes it different from other kinds of arthritis. For example, rheumatoid arthritis generally occurs in a well-formed pattern. This means that if a knee or hand is involved, the other knee and hand are also involved (Nat'l Inst. Of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease, 1998). Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease w... ... middle of paper ... ...w long have you been living with rheumatoid arthritis? What medications have you tried for your arthritis, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, modifying anti-rheumatic, oral cortisone, or biologic drugs? Have you tried any other treatments? Which joints are painful or stiff? When is the pain or stillness worse? What makes the symptoms better or worst? Do you have morning stiffness and how long does it last? Does the arthritis make you fell tired? What does your future hold for you? Are you angry or depressed about having arthritis? Do you have fears or being crippled or be in a wheelchair? Do you wear any splints to relive the pain of arthritis? Are you showing any sign of physical changes in you body? How can you bier the pain from the arthritis? Does your family understand what your arthritis is and how it is going to affect you over the years to come?

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