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<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #00826a;">What is Rheumatoid Arthritis?</span></h2>
<p style="text-align: left;">It is a type of autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation of joints throughout the body, leading to joint destruction and loss of normal function. This can result in permanent joint deformities if not properly treated. Additionally, there can be symptoms affecting other systems outside the joints, such as eye symptoms and lung symptoms.</p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #00826a;">Causes of Rheumatoid Arthritis</span></h2>
<p style="text-align: left;">Current studies have found multiple factors contributing to the disease, including genetic factors, behaviors, and infections such as smoking, bacterial and viral infections. These factors trigger the production of antibodies that attack the body&#8217;s own tissues, especially around the joints. These antibodies may be produced up to 10 years before joint inflammation symptoms appear.</p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #00826a;">Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients</span></h2>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li aria-level="1">Pain, swelling, redness, and warmth in the joints, especially small joints such as fingers, wrists, or other joints like knees and shoulders, with symmetrical symptoms on both sides lasting more than 6 weeks.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Morning stiffness in the joints after waking up, unable to move the joints immediately, requiring more than 30 minutes before normal use.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Skin symptoms called rheumatoid nodules, which are small raised lumps on the skin, often found near inflamed joints.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Symptoms outside the joints such as dry eyes, conjunctivitis, chronic lung inflammation, and vasculitis.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Complications such as permanent joint deformities, osteoporosis, pulmonary fibrosis, and increased risk of heart disease and infections.</li>
</ul>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #00826a;">Other Diseases with Symptoms Similar to Rheumatoid Arthritis</span></h2>
<p style="text-align: left;">These are diseases with chronic joint inflammation symptoms such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), psoriatic arthritis, vasculitis, and post-viral arthritis caused by viruses like chikungunya virus and COVID-19 virus.</p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #00826a;">Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis</span></h2>
<p style="text-align: left;">Doctors will take a detailed medical history and perform a thorough physical examination of the joints, along with specific antibody tests for this disease, inflammation markers of the joints, and X-rays of the painful joints.</p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #00826a;">Treatment Guidelines for Rheumatoid Arthritis</span></h2>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li aria-level="1">Non-drug treatments such as educating patients about the disease, reducing the use of inflamed joints, physical therapy to prevent joint stiffness, quitting smoking, and monitoring for infections.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li aria-level="1">Medication is key to controlling the disease. Rheumatoid arthritis cannot be cured by painkillers alone but requires disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to control abnormal immune responses, reducing joint destruction. Medication regimens must be properly adjusted to prevent deformities and disabilities.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Joint fusion or replacement surgery is performed in cases of severe joint destruction that affects patients&#8217; daily lives.</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: left;">Pain relief does not mean the disease is cured. The goal of rheumatoid arthritis treatment, besides reducing pain, is to use medication to reduce joint inflammation and minimize joint destruction as much as possible. This helps patients return to normal joint function and prevents permanent deformities and other complications. Therefore, early diagnosis, continuous medication, and proper rehabilitation of inflamed joints will provide the most effective treatment outcomes.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: #00826a;"><strong>Dr. Polayut Thassanatthapong</strong></span></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: right;">Specialist in Rheumatology and Joint Diseases</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">Muscle, Bone, and Joint Center, Phyathai 1 Hospital</div>
</div>


Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with painkillers alone cannot cure the disease. It is necessary to provide disease-modifying drugs, which will reduce joint destruction to prevent deformities and disabilities.

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Rheumatoid arthritis can cause permanent joint deformity.

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