Signs And Symptoms Of Rheumatoid Arthritis
We have all heard of MRI scans but many of us do not know what it is and what it detects. MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging. This is a scan that helps doctors and surgeons to see your internal organs, tissues, and bones from inside that cannot be visible to plain eyes. This scan helps in detecting several injuries and diseases. Initially, you will be prescribed a CT-Scan and if that is not enough, you will have to get an MRI done. This scan is also a part of the post-treatment process that helps doctors to understand the progress of a specific treatment on your body. MRI can detect several problems in the brain, spinal cord, heart and vessels, bone joints, breast tissues, liver, spleens, kidneys, prostate glands, pancreas, and the ovaries. Treatment nowadays is quite expensive as such modern technology, for example, MRI scans can be quite a pocket pinch. You can opt for Express MRI for expert assistance and economic packages. In this essay, we will talk about a common disease that can be detected by MRI and is known as rheumatoid arthritis. It is an inflammatory syndrome that includes an inflammation feeling to the joints. This is also an autoimmune disease and commonly occurs in the knee joints, feet, fingers and hands. Arthritis, if not taken care of can spread to other parts of the body too.
Active Arthritis can result in intense pain. The inflammation in the joints is the main cause of this extreme pain. You will be surprised to know that you can also experience such pain if you suffered from arthritis in the past and are not affected anymore. This is because the joints and tissues of the affected portion get majorly damaged due to rheumatoid arthritis. These parts of the body, when used can cause such pain. Arthritis flare-up causes joints to swell. This happens due to the thickening of the synovium or the joint that surrounds the tissue. The other reason for such swelling up is the increase in joint fluid in that specific part. This inflamed and affected part keeps on disturbing the capsule that encompasses it. This, in turn, sends pain signals straight to the brain.
As you already know that the synovium constantly irritates the nerves in the capsule layering the joint. When this capsule receives any external pressure, it tends to become tender and you experience more stinging pain. Therefore, tenderness is a patent characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis. The pain occurs almost instantly as you press or touch the affected part. This is a common cause of sleeplessness and stress. As you try to lay down on a flat surface, the affected part remains sensitive to any kind of touch and you suffer pain throughout. Swelling of joints is a common symptom that follows this kind of arthritis and other joint diseases. Excessive swelling is not constant in the case of rheumatoid arthritis. Sometimes the swelling is negligible and sometimes it is absolutely unavoidable.
If you are affected with arthritis, you will be able to tell exactly which part of the body is swelling more. Joint swelling can have some negative effects including loss of motion. An easy way to understand if the pain is followed by swelling in the fingers is by seeing whether a ring comes out easily from your finger. Inflammation in the joints can lead to severe redness. In medical terms, this redness is caused due to the capillaries of that part of the skin getting widened due to the burning sensation. The widened capillaries are also called dilated capillaries. It is not necessary that this condition will take place in every type of arthritis. E very time the inflammation is not equally severe and may not cause the capillaries to stretch. Do not panic instantly thinking about the extreme. You should first get a thorough check-up done along with a proper MRI scan to be sure of these conditions.
Continuous burning sensation in the joints causes warmth in the affected parts. Doctors take this syndrome as an example during their diagnosis. While they are scanning or testing your body, they constantly look for joints where you feel the warmth. These are the majorly affected areas. Rheumatoid arthritis can be reduced or say kept less with medicine and hence, continued treatment can resolve such burning sensation. Also, warmth can occur even without redness or swelling. Stiffness in joints is a typical characteristic that comes along with rheumatoid arthritis. The joints that are affected usually experience a burning sensation. The continuous occurrence of such sensation plus the pain leads to stiffening of the joints especially early in the morning. This stiffening sensation can also be controlled with the help of proper treatment and medication. The parts that are affected by arthritis for a long time have a problem with the range of motion. The motion range can get severely damaged if not taken proper care of. You will only be able to move your hands or legs to an extent till it does not burn or pain. This can lead to weakness of that particular part of the body.
Arthritis is not necessarily restricted to a single part of the body. It usually occurs in small joints and can affect more than one joint at a time. It can also affect major joints of the body such as elbows, shoulders, ankles, and hips. The problem is still considered minor if it affects 2-3 small joints. As it spreads to more than 4 joints, it results in severe arthritis. This version is also known as Polyarthritis. A continuation of rheumatoid arthritis or RA can cause a deformity in the affected joints. Immediate action is required as and when the problem can be sensed or detected. Negligence of such conditions can lead to eroding bones and cartilages and also laxity in ligaments. It is important that you follow a doctor on every step once you are affected to make sure permanent damage does not take place. This is an overview of rheumatoid arthritis and how you can sense it to an extent. It is important that you rush to a doctor as you experience even a few of these symptoms. An MRI scan followed by other treatment can lead to miraculous results. This is just one of the many diseases that can be detected by the help of MRI scans.
