Arthritis: Doctor gives advice on best foods to help ease pain
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Arthritis is a very common condition that affects more than 10 million people in the UK. The most common signs include joint pain and stiffness, but there are also some signs that you shouldn’t ignore – even though they’re easily missed.
There are a number of different types of arthritis, but osteoarthritis is the most common.
Almost nine million people have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis in the UK.
The second most common type of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis, which affects around 400,000 people.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto-immune condition, whereby the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the joints.
The condition usually causes painful swelling and stiffness in the joints.
But rheumatoid arthritis can affect more than just your joints, and may lead to some symptoms that you may not realise are caused by the condition.
The disease causes inflammation in the body, which subsequently leads to a number of other symptoms.
Some of the signs are actually caused by serious complications of rheumatoid arthritis, and require immediate treatment.
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“Rheumatoid arthritis can have many symptoms,” said medical website WebMD. “The most common are stiff, painful joints and fatigue.
“But this disease causes inflammation in many body parts, so you may have symptoms that you don’t realise are related to rheumatoid arthritis.
“Some are signs of serious complications that put your organs, or even your life, at risk.
“If you have any of these symptoms, don’t try to deal with them on your own. Call your doctor right away.”
Eye problems
Rheumatoid arthritis can lead to some symptoms in your eyes, including blurry vision.
It’s caused by inflammation in the white part of the eye, and some patients may even have eye pain and redness.
Fever
A fever could be caused by an infection, which is more common in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
The condition wears down the immune system, which increases the risk of infections.
Tingling pain
Some patients may develop a numbness or tingling in the hands or feet.
The pain may feel similar to pins and needles or feel unusually cold.
If you have a burning pain in your hands or feet, you should speak to a doctor straight away.
Stomach pain
On rare occasions, rheumatoid arthritis can cause inflammation to spread into your blood vessels, leading to belly pain.
This is known as rheumatoid vasculitis, and requires immediate medical attention.
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