Rheumatoid Arthritis Essay

E. Drugs that block the effect of tumor necrosis factor have not been useful or effective for treating RA patients.

Rheumatoid Arthritis(RA) is the most common type of autoimmune arthritis. RA is a progressive and debilitating musculoskeletal disorder that affects the joints symmetrically, causing a range of systemic effects. What it causes is still not well known; nevertheless, findings of new research points towards a believe that it is triggered by a defective immune system, which causes the release of inflammatory chemicals. These chemicals cause damage to cartilage and bone, usually affecting the wrists, the joints of the hand, including the knuckles, the middle joints of the fingers and feet. While this condition can affect any joints, besides, important body organs such as the eyes and the lungs can also be affected by the inflammation that occurs as a result of this chronic condition. Only in America 1.3 million of people are affected by this ailment, and 75 % of them are mainly women. Its onset usually occurs between fourth and sixth decades; however, RA can occur at any age("Diseases And

In order to establish a treatment, plan it is important to set goals for this patient. In general goals for RA include early recognition and diagnosis, referral to a rheumatologist, and tight control and low disease activity (Cohen & Cannella, 2017). There are also scales that need to be completed by the NP and patient to determine how the treatment is working for a patient. When setting goals, it is important to determine a successful way to evaluate this patients' pain. In the older population it is common for pain to be under treated and part of the cause of this is because the assessment for pain is not matching the patients' needs. Once a successful evaluation has been chosen for this pain it would be important to use this same

20 patients with active RA in 1992 were first to be treated with infliximab. There was a dramatic drop in C-reactive protein (CRP and ethrocyte sedimentation rate. However patients relaped with 3-8 week demonstrating that they require another dose of

Around 70% of arthritis sufferers in the UK have rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Women are also more likely to develop RA than men, and commonly affects adults between ages 50 and 60. This condition is characterised by an insidious onset of pain, swelling of joints and morning stiffness. Arthritis is caused by inflammation of the synovial tissue of the joints, supposedly triggered by the presence of autobodies such as rheumatoid factors. The first line treatment for RA is a combination of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD). These slow down the progression of RA and treatment typically includes methotrexate in combination with another DMARD (e.g. sulphasalazine). Short term glucocorticoids are also used with DMARDS to manage flares of inflammation. Anti-TNF drugs

Rheumatoid Arthritis has been subject of numerous studies and researches in the look for a better understanding of how it effects the individuals diagnosed with it. There is a higher incident of females diagnosed with RA than male as well as a relationship with genetic and environmental factors involved. Around one percent of the world population is affected by RA; therefore, diverse studies have been performed to understand how the lives of the diagnosed patients can be impacted by the disease. For example, how RA affects the mobility, safety and activities of daily living in general as well as the development of interventions to better approach RA. On

Today in the United States there is an estimated 1.3 million people living and dealing with rheumatoid arthritis (Arthritis Foundation). One might ask, what exactly is rheumatoid arthritis? Well, rheumatoid arthritis, also commonly known as RA, is a form of inflammatory disease and an autoimmune disease. If the person is a minor, or below the age of six-teen, then the chronic disease can also go by the name of juvenile arthritis. The juvenile arthritis is, “Defined as chronic inflammation of the synovial joints, with unknown etiology, which starts before the age of sixteen and persists for at least six weeks” (Hink et al 1). This disease can affect anyone with a functioning immune system. Out of the 1.3 million people in the United States that have rheumatoid arthritis, 70% of that number is women (RA.com). Once again there are no certain reasons as to who receives this disease whether its children, elders, Caucasians, African Americans, etc. But once they do receive the illness, then it affects them immensely. “The disease is systemic, meaning it can occur throughout the whole body. It’s a chronic disease, so it can’t be cured” (Arthritis Foundation). The pain, stiffness and fatigue can affect the entire body. “RA occurs when your immune system, the system that protects your body from outside harm, mistakenly starts attacking healthy tissue” (RA.com). Rheumatoid arthritis is an incurable disease that is affecting

Biologics first made their premier as a treatment option for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) over fifteen years ago, when Enbrel was first introduced. Now it is one of the front runners for treatment of RA. Many studies and articles, such as Palmer’s (2012) article out of the British Journal of Nursing, has shown how beneficial and impactful Enbrel has been as a treatment option. Enbrel.com proclaims how symptoms start to improve in as early as two weeks, with most people seeing improvements within three months, with even more improvements seen by six months. The article by Dhillon, Lyseng-Williamson, and Scott (2011) states that in several well designed trials in patients with early or long-standing

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic syndrome that is characterized by inflammation of the peripheral joints, but it may also involve the lungs, heart, blood vessels, and eyes. The prevalence of this autoimmune disease is between 0.3% to 1.5% of the population in the United States (Feinberg, pp 815). It affects women two to three times more often than men, and the onset of RA is usually between 25 and 50 years of age, but it can occur at any age (Reed, pp 584). RA can be diagnosed by establishing the presence of persistent joint pain, swelling in a symmetric distribution, and prolonged morning stiffness. RA usually affects multiple joints, such as the hands, wrists, knees, elbows, feet, shoulders, hips, and small

The type of treatment chosen depends on the type of arthritis and the effects it has on the patient as well as the severity of the disease. Other factors to consider are the age of the patient and the joints affected. Bearing in mind that different people exhibit different reactions to different medications, treatment in this case is individualized but includes a combination of joint protection methods and medication. For rheumatoid arthritis, the Initial treatment starts with non steroidal ant inflammatory drugs and other simple analgesic but as the inflammation progresses, slow acting anti rheumatoid drugs which are aimed at modifying the disease are introduced. They are added progressively as the inflammation progresses in order to suppress the process that leads to chronic inflammation (Amin 1995).

Rheumatoid Arthritis or (RA) is an autoimmune disease that attacks the joints and connective tissue. The result is inflammation that produces permanent damage in the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic syndrome that tends to be progressive and destructive as compared to Osteoarthritis or (OA), which is more of an age related disease caused by “wear and tear” of the joints. In contrast to (OA), rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by inflammation mostly of the joints, but is a general body disease.

To help with inflammation, there are steroids like prednisone and hydroxychloroquine (Arthritisorg, 2015). Another drug to help with inflammation is the Disease- Modifying Antirhelumatic Drug. Some NSAID medicines to help with the pain are ibuprofen and aspirin (Mayoclinicorg, 2015). At home, some remedies can be putting hot and cold bags on the swelling, doing yoga, and doing physical therapy. A additional way is surgery, but there is no guaranteed the disorder is gone (Arthritisorg, 2015). With all these remedies, there is still no cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis. In fact, the disease may last for years or a lifetime (Mayoclinicorg,

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic syndrome that is characterized by inflammation of the peripheral joints, but it may also involve the lungs, heart, blood vessels, and eyes. The prevalence of this autoimmune disease is between 0.3% to 1.5% of the population in the United States (Feinberg, pp 815). It affects women two to three times more often than men, and the onset of RA is usually between 25 and 50 years of age, but it can occur at any age (Reed, pp 584). RA can be diagnosed by establishing the presence of persistent joint pain, swelling in a symmetric distribution, and prolonged morning stiffness. RA usually affects multiple joints, such as the hands, wrists, knees, elbows, feet, shoulders, hips, and small hand joints. RA is

Rheumatoid Arthritis or “RA” is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system mistakenly attacks its own body tissues. This disease affects the lining of joints causing pain and swelling. Eventually the swelling can lead to bone erosion and joint deformity. RA can happen to anyone at any age, but the majority of people who have to endure this disease are women over the age of 40.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints. While inflammation of the tissue around the joints and inflammatory arthritis are characteristic features of rheumatoid arthritis, the disease can also cause inflammation and injury in other organs in the