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RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA)

Overview

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic immune disease in which the immune system mainly attacks the joints. Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis may cause physical disabilities and inability to move. It can also affect other areas of the body rather than the joints, including the lungs, heart, kidneys, skin, eyes, and blood vessels.

Symptoms & Causes

There are general symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis such as:

  • Fatigue
  • Fever and loss of appetite
  • Tender, warm and swollen joints
  • Joint stiffness that is usually worse in the morning or after a period of inactivity

Early stage of Rheumatoid Arthritis tends to affect your smaller joints first such as the joints of the fingers and toes. As the disease progresses, symptoms often spread to the wrists, knees, ankles, elbows, and shoulders. In most cases, symptoms occur in the same joints on both sides of your body.

About 40% of people who have Rheumatoid arthritis also experience signs and symptoms that don’t involve the joints. Areas that may be affected include kidneys. Renal Amyloidosis can occur because of untreated chronic inflammation.

Diagnosis & Tests

It is difficult to diagnose it in early stages, but in Renal Amyloidosis, the diagnosis is usually done with Kidney Biopsy, In the case of secondary amyloidosis suspicion a fat biopsy could show a Congo red stain positive.

Treatment

The treatment will be decided by the nephrologists and Rheumatologists depending on the underlying cause and the patient condition.

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