DON’T LOSE YOUR ‘GRIP ON LIFE’ BECAUSE OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Do you have difficulty in kneading the dough? Do you experience early morning stiffness of fingers with swelling of smaller joints? Do you find it difficult to hold your morning cup of tea or are your first few steps in morning always painful?  If you are experiencing these symptoms, you might be suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an inflammatory auto-immune condition.

RA affects not only joints but can affect your entire body. 1 in every 100 people is known to suffer from it. Women are three times more likely to get affected with it than men. Although RA can occur at any age, women between the ages of 30-60 are most likely to be affected. RA may reduce one’s lifespan on an average from three to twelve years.

Complications of Rheumatoid Arthritis

If left untreated, RA can lead to deformity of joints, causing severe disability. Since rheumatoid arthritis is an auto immune disorder where the immune cells attack the tissue cells of one’s own body, it also has an ability to affect ones heart, lungs and eyes.  General fatigue, weakness, weight loss, difficulty in walking and doing daily household chores affects the quality of life of patients hugely. However, early diagnosis can help narrow down the risk of complications and manage the symptoms better.

Diagnosis of Rheumatoid arthritis

In early stages, RA is difficult to diagnose because many of its symptoms mimic other diseases. Rheumatoid arthritis can be diagnosed on the basis of physical symptoms, clinical examination by a doctor, couple of blood tests and imaging of joints. Can it be treated? Yes!

Homeopathic treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Conventional treatment often offers non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s), steroids and disease modifying anti rheumatic drugs (DMARD) like methotrexate to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Though these help to control the pain & disability, it comes with host of side-effects. Gastric ulcers, bleeding and perforation are known side-effects occurring due to excessive intake of painkillers while DMARDs can cause liver & lung damage.

Homeopathy is a safer alternative to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Homeopathic treatment can help slow down the progression of the disease. It can also help effectively in alleviating most symptoms like stiffness, pain and swelling.

Quality of life can improve to great extent with help of homeopathic medicines since range of mobility gets better and flare ups of attacks can be narrowed down. Dependency on conventional treatment can be reduced. Chances of complications like joint damage, deformity can be prevented successfully in most cases. Timely treatment is important because once the damage to joints is done, it is irreversible.

Diet & Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Apart from homeopathic treatment, exercise plays an imperative role in joint management. Hot and cold packs help reduce swelling & pain.

Studies have shown that addition of fiber rich diet such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables helps reduce the levels of C- reactive protein (CRP is an indicator of inflammation) in the blood. Similarly, extra virgin olive oil is known to block the enzymes that can cause inflammation thereby acting in a similar way that a painkiller (non-steroidal anti inflammatory drug) such as ibuprofen or an aspirin can.

Research links Vitamin D deficiency to RA. Patients with RA are known to have a higher risk of osteoporosis, which can lead to easy fractures and experience more of joint pains. Hence Vitamin D supplement is advisable to patients suffering from RA.

Natural sources of vitamin D include egg yolk, milk, cereals and fish

So improve your quality of life by treating RA with goodness of homeopathy and enjoy pain free life!