Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease, which means that your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake, causing inflammation (painful swelling) in the affected parts of the body. RA mainly attacks the joints, usually many joints at once.
Your immune system normally makes antibodies that attack bacteria and viruses, helping to fight infection. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system mistakenly sends antibodies to the lining of your joints, where they attack the tissue surrounding the joint.
Several autoimmune diseases can cause joint pain and other symptoms that mimic rheumatoid arthritis (RA). These diseases most commonly include lupus, systemic scleroderma, and polymyalgia rheumatic.
Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, involves the wearing away of the cartilage that caps the bones in your joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease in which the immune system attacks the joints, beginning with the lining of joints. Arthritis is the swelling and tenderness of one or more joints.
Many viruses could be responsible for causing viral arthritis, the most common being Parvovirus, alphavirus, rubella, Hepatitis B, C, and flavivirus. Some other viruses can also cause arthritis/arthralgia rarely. These are EBV, HIV, mumps, herpes, and cytomegalovirus (CMV).
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis. It tends to involve more than one of the small joints of the hands and feet. In particular, the lining of the joint or tendons (the synovium) is inflamed, causing warmth, pain, and stiffness.
People who have low levels of vitamin D often have joint pain. Vitamin D supplements may treat joint pain in some people who have a vitamin D deficiency. However, research doesn't support that people with healthy levels of vitamin D take should take these supplements for joint pain.
The most common triggers of an OA flare are overdoing an activity or trauma to the joint. Other triggers can include bone spurs, stress, repetitive motions, cold weather, a change in barometric pressure, an infection or weight gain. Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory disease that affects the skin and joints.
Blood tests
No blood test can definitively prove or rule out a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, but several tests can show indications of the condition. Some of the main blood tests used include: erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) – which can help assess levels of inflammation in the body.
Lupus and Scleroderma
The autoimmune diseases systemic lupus erythematosus and scleroderma often present with joint involvement that mimics rheumatoid arthritis. While lupus and scleroderma are two different diseases, they often overlap with one another.
Autoimmune diseases can affect many types of tissues and nearly any organ in your body. They may cause a variety of symptoms including pain, tiredness (fatigue), rashes, nausea, headaches, dizziness and more. Specific symptoms depend on the exact disease.
When the body senses danger from a virus or infection, the immune system kicks into gear and attacks it. This is called an immune response. Sometimes, healthy cells and tissues are caught up in this response, resulting in autoimmune disease.
Autoimmune disease occurs most often in young women. Incidences of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis peak at approxi- mately age 20, with a 3:1 (female-to-male) preference [1,2]. Incidences of type 1 autoimmune diabetes [3] and autoimmune skin diseases, such as vitiligo, peak at young age [4].
In fact, if an autoimmune disorder is left untreated, it can lead to more serious complications and even death. The person will also run a higher risk of infections.
Antinuclear antibodies are markers for a number of autoimmune diseases, the most notable of which is systemic lupus erythematosus (Ferrell and Tan, 1985). Antibodies to specific nuclear constituents are high specific for certain collagen vascular diseases.
They can be a variety of things, including gluten, soy, dairy, corn, nightshades, grains, legumes, coffee, and/or eggs. Work with a functional medicine doctor to find out what diet is best for you. Environmental toxins: Mold and other environmental toxins can both induce AI disease and trigger AI flares.
Fibromyalgia is diagnosed based primarily on having pain all over the body, along with other symptoms. Currently, there are no specific laboratory or imaging tests for fibromyalgia.
Diagnosing fibromyalgia can be difficult as there's no specific test to diagnose the condition. The symptoms of fibromyalgia can also vary from person to person and are similar to those of several other conditions. The GP will ask you how your symptoms are affecting your daily life.
Such is the case with vitamin D. When you aren't getting enough, you may get pain in your joints. Vitamin D's anti-inflammatory properties help relieve joint pain. Vitamin D also can help manage autoimmune conditions that affect the joints, including multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Type 1 diabetes.