What is
Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints and the tissue around the joints. Rheumatoid Arthritis can cause chronic pain and permanent joint damage. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that is caused when body tissues are attacked by their own immune system. Rheumatoid arthritis can cause foot pain, which commonly occurs in the ball of the foot, but can also affect other areas of the foot and ankle
Causes
Experts are still trying to figure out the cause of rheumatoid arthritis. Even though it is assumed but not yet proven that the causes of rheumatoid arthritis are viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Researchers believe that rheumatoid arthritis could be genetically inherited.
Symptoms
The symptoms depend on the level of tissue inflammation. The disease is active when body tissues are inflamed. When tissue inflammation drops, the disease is inactive causing the symptoms to disappear. Usually when the disease is active, symptoms involve loss of energy, decrease in appetite, joint aches, and stiffness. During flares, joints start to swell up and experience pain and tenderness.
Treatment
There is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, but there are ways to help treat it. Medications can help relieve pain and prevent or slow joint damage, but the drugs could also have harmful side effects. Doctors would start off by giving the patient medication that has fewer side effects. Doctors might prescribe a patient who is suffering from rheumatoid arthritis nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, corticosteroids, and TNF-alpha inhibitors. Patients might go to therapy to help treat rheumatoid arthritis, which teaches you different ways to cope with everyday tasks. Also if medications do not help slow down joint damage, you can consider surgery to repair your joints. There are many procedures for rheumatoid arthritis surgery like total joint replacement, tendon repair, removal of the joint lining, and joint fusion.
Prevention
There is no way to prevent Rheumatoid arthritis, but you can help stop or slow down progression of the disease with early treatment.