General Nursing©

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Symptoms:

• General feeling of malaise (lethargy, generalized aches and pains).
• Pain in the affected joints.
• Swelling of the joint.
• Stiffness, which restricts movement, especially early in the morning.

Complications:

• Severe deformity of the joints(s). Affects 1 in 10 people with progressive disease.
• Pericarditis (inflammation of the membrane enclosing the heart).
• Inflammation of blood vessels, causing ulcers to occur over the hands feet.
• Pleural effusion (fluid accumulating between the layers of the membrane lining the lungs and the chest cavity).
• Scarring and thickening of lung tissue.
• Enlarge spleen.
• Dryness of the eyes and mouth.

Causes:

• Not fully known.

What you can do?

• Consult a doctor to find out what type of arthritis you have.
• Rest the joint until the pain subsides, then resume normal activities to prevent stiffness.
• Keep the joint warm at night on cold weather (e.g., cover with blanket at night, wear socks or cotton gloves, etc).
• Take simple painkillers.
• Swim preferably in heated swimming pools.

Next/Previous