Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting joints of the body. People with RA might have inflammation or pain in their hands, fingers and wrists or their knees, ankles, feet and/or toes. Normally, a person’s cartilage acts as a “shock absorber” for the joints. However, RA messes with the cartilage and eventually people can experience deformed joints. Bones can erode, too, thanks to RA’s uncontrolled inflammation.
Signs You Have RA
So how might you figure out whether you have rheumatoid arthritis or not? Some of the symptoms include pain, swelling, stiffness and tenderness in more than one joint, as well as stiffness especially in the morning or after sitting for long periods of time. Usually, a person with RA experiences pain and stiffness in the same joints on both sides of the body. Other symptoms can include fatigue and weakness.
What’s a practical example of a person living with RA? A woman nearing the age of 70 used to crochet blankets for her grandkids, but now the pain in her hands makes it nearly impossible to do so… She also has a hard time preparing meals for the family– even something like holding pots and pans becomes difficult thanks to RA. She can’t make jams and jellies like she used to– and even putting puzzle pieces together can be a challenge. It can be so frustrating not being able to do the things you used to do when you’re living with RA!
Thanks to years of research, though, the Helen Foundation has found a solution to reducing inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis through hydrocortisone microdosing. When used in small microdoses, hydrocortisone has been shown to be extremely effective at reducing inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis. Intrigued? There’s hope for those with RA. Call the Helen Foundation at 480-734-8525 for more info, or visit here.
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