Youngsters are getting affected by Rheumatoid Arthritis

Due to the untimely rains in Bangalore, like many others, 23-years old Alka wasn’t prepared with her usual rainy gear. While she was on her way home from office, she got completely drenched. After reaching home, even undressing herself from the wet clothes was a task due to swollen hands, acute pain in the wrists and constant shivering. Soon after, she was experiencing stiffness and joint pain for quite some time, however she never paid any heed to it until it became serious due to the cold. Alka was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

In another case, 24-year-old Rahul, an IT professional, who visited a nearby clinic after experiencing severe fatigue and joint pain for past month, was found suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.

“Not just the elderly population but an increasing number of youngsters are getting diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. It is an autoimmune condition where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the joints, creating inflammation which causes the inner joint tissues to thicken resulting in swelling and pain in and around the joints,” explains Dr. Ravi Chandra Kelkar, Consultant- Orthopaedics, Columbia Asia Hospital, Hebbal.

“Out of the 60 arthritis patients that we see in a month, almost half of them suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, “added the doctor.

Some of the early signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include:

• Early morning stiffness for 30 minutes or longer
• Difficulty in movement
• Wrist, joints of hands or feet (smaller joints are affected)
• Stiffness, swelling, tenderness for 6 weeks or longer
• More than one joint on both sides of the body are affected at the same time

Early diagnosis with aggressive treatment targeting remission, reducing inflammation and preventing joint damage is essential to control rheumatoid arthritis. If the inflammation is left unchecked it can damage the cartilage i.e. the tissues that cover the end of the bone in a joint, leading to decreased joint spacing.

“Unhealthy lifestyle habits such as lack of exercise, deficiency of vitamin D, smoking and gorging processed and fast foods are some of the causes that leads to rheumatoid arthritis. People with a family history of arthritis are more prone to the disease but, it also affects people with no genetic history at all,” added the doctor.

Read on as Dr. Ravi Kelkar points out some of the tips to manage early rheumatoid arthritissymptoms:

• Healthy eating & anti-inflammatory diet: Including antioxidant rich foods such as fish, vegetables, fruits and cutting the intake of fast foods can help control and reduce inflammation.
• Appropriate rest: It is important to take proper rest especially for people who experience early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis such as pain, inflammation and stiffness in joints. Also, taking regular breaks throughout the day, especially if you have a desk job can help in relaxing your joints and muscles and reduces stiffness. If the temperatures in the office are very low, make sure you carry a jacket as the cold can aggravate the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
  
• Physical activity: Consult a physiotherapist for a detailed exercise plan that can help you treat rheumatoid arthritis at an early stage.
• Heat and cold therapies: Placing hot pads or having hot baths work best for soothing tired muscles and stiff joints. Cold therapies work best for acute pain as it can numb painful areas.
• Consult a doctor at the earliest: It is important to not ignore any kind of pain and inflammation in joints. Prevention is the key to good health and can help you treat ailments before they become serious. Hence, if you feel you are suffering from any symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, consult your doctor immediately.