Rheumatoid Arthritis Research Paper

Rheumatoid Arthritis
Millions of people suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis each and every day, and many may have it and do not they have the disease or how to deal with it. "With arthritis, medical treatment has an air of desperation. Doctors not only don’t know how to sort out the problem but often make a hash of things, throwing a load of potentially lethal drugs at the condition and then prescribing new drugs to deal with the side effects caused by the "treatment"."---Lynne McTaggart. This statement is true of many diseases, however Rheumatoid Arthritis is a crippling disease because of different causes, and while it is unknown what medications and treatment options are best.
What is it?
They say “Rheumatoid arthritis (or RA) is a chronic
Some of the most commonly used forms of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs include: Methotrexate, Leflunomide, and hydroxychloroquine. According to The Arthritis Foundation ,”DMARDs, particularly Methotrexate, have been the standard for aggressively treating rheumatoid arthritis” (2009). The side effects for using these medications may include liver toxicity and bone marrow suppression. Methotrexate has also been know to cause birth defects and should not be taken if you are trying to become pregnant.
BRMs or Biological response modifiers are an injected drug and which help modify the immune system by inhibiting proteins. The medications prescribed in this category are Enbrel, Remicade, Humira, and Kineret. The worst side effect though of this drug is that it inhibits the body from fighting off infection.
TNF-alpha or Tumor necrosis factor-alpha is produced by the body and TNF inhibitors help reduce inflammation, morning stiffness and swollen joints. It is believed that rheumatoid arthritis can cause bone loss, due to TNF alpha signals and the role they play. The side effects for using this are a little more severe than most medicinal treatments, and can include congestive heart failure, lymphoma and an increased risk of infections.
The following timeline show pictures of what Rheumatoid Arthritis laden hands look
Rheumatoid Arthritis. Retrieved October 28, 2009, from http://www.arthritis.org
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Harvard Medical School Health, Harvard Health Publications (2005, February). Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis, 3-5. . Retrieved October 27, 2009, from EBSCOHost database.
Mayo Clinic Staff (2008). Rheumatoid Arthritis. Retrieved October 27, 2009, from http://www.mayoclinic.com
Palmer, Sharon. (August 2007). "Can diet or supplements relieve your arthritis aches and inflammation?." Environmental Nutrition 30.8 Gale. Apollo Library-Univ of Phoenix. 28 Oct. 2009
Watkins, Jean. Update (Sept 1, 2006). "Medicine in pictures Rheumatoid arthritis.(Disease/Disorder overview)." : Gale. Apollo Library-Univ of Phoenix. 27 Oct. 2009
Women 's Health Weekly (Sept 4, 2008). "Researchers discover how rheumatoid arthritis causes bone loss." General OneFile. Gale. Apollo Library-Univ of Phoenix. 27 Oct.