Rheumatoid Arthritis: Causes and Consequences

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that is the result of too much activity of the body's immune system, destroying the entire health of the joint tissues. This inflammatory chronic disease can affect not only the joints, but also other areas of the body. The development of rheumatoid arthritis is affected by a huge number of factors.

Rheumatoid arthritis: the causes of

Experts have so far failed to uncover a 100% accurate cause that causes rheumatoid arthritis of the knee and other body parts. The most likely theory to date implies that rheumatoid arthritis is a consequence of a combination of genetic and infectious factors.

Today's medicine has come to the conclusion that rheumatoid arthritis of the ankle and other areas arises under the active influence of bacterial or viral infection. The latter causes disturbances in the functioning of the immune system in people who have a hereditary predisposition to this disease. Nevertheless, now there is no reliable information that would confirm the presence in the affected joints of microorganisms or infections.

As the clinical picture of this disease develops, the cells of the immune system recognize proteins as foreign elements to the body. At the same time, it is impossible to determine the amount and type of proteins that can be attacked by the body.

So, some of them are created as a result of a fungal, bacterial or viral infection, while others are natural particles of the human body, undergoing an attack of immunocytes under genetic influence. Regardless of their origin, these proteins cause the immune system to react, after which it begins to produce a cytokine, a chemical element that accelerates the destructive and inflammatory process.

In fact, it can be said that rheumatoid arthritis of the hip joint and other varieties of the disease arise due to such an inadequate response of immunity. During the course of the illness, the inflammation gradually begins to spread to the synovial membrane, which covers the connective areas.

In the case of rheumatoid arthritis of the fingers, the inflammation covers not only the joints themselves, but also the extra-articular zones, thus causing their swelling, chronic pain syndrome, weakness and loss of mobility. There are many types of cytokines, however rheumatoid arthritis of the foot in most cases causes tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1.

Specialists believe that these substances significantly accelerate the degeneration of joint tissues in this disease. Therefore, often the treatment of acute rheumatoid arthritis is reduced to inhibiting the production of cytokines, in order to reduce tissue inflammation and the rate of degeneration of the joint.

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in children: the causes of

As in adults, the causes of rheumatoid arthritis in children are still unknown to modern science. This disease is typical for children under 16 years old. The clinical picture of the disease corresponds to the symptoms that occur with the usual form of rheumatoid arthritis in adults.

In addition to joint pain, children with this disease are also characterized by such symptoms as severe heat, a light rash on the skin, which may appear and disappear within a couple of days. The systemic form of juvenile arthritis can cause swollen lymph nodes of the neck. In some cases complications of rheumatoid arthritis can occur in other internal organs, including the heart and lungs.

Also, the number of serious complications of this disease is inflammation of the eyes, which is typical for children with spirocartsicular disease. Sometimes eye diseases do not develop until the child has had a major illness.

Risk factors that increase the likelihood of

disease 70% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis are women. In this case, the probability of developing this disease increases in women who have recently given birth or were not pregnant at all. In this case, the consequences of rheumatoid arthritis are quite unpleasant, therefore, when the first symptoms of the disease appear, you should immediately contact a specialist.

It is known that rheumatoid arthritis has a genetic basis, which makes whole families prone to this disease. The development of the disease contributes to the elderly age, regular stress and smoking. It is noteworthy that most of the patients experienced some serious event some time before the appearance of arthritis. Doctors insist on the treatment of arthritis in the early stages, before there are symptoms of pronounced destruction of the affected joints.