Ask your doctor
General Questions on Arthritis
Is Arthritis seen only in older people
Arthritis is a general term used to indicate joint pains though joint pains can occur in a variety of conditions. Joint pains occur due to advancing age and this condition is called Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the condition which is generally described as Arthritis and hence the association with older age groups. Osteoarthritis is seen in older age groups and occurs due to age- and age-related wear and tear. This is different from Inflammatory arthritis which can occur in all age groups.
Is Arthritis seen only in young women
Again the term arthritis can be confusing. Osteoarthritis is an age-related arthritis which is seen in older patients. Inflammatory conditions such as SLE, Rheumatoid arthritis are
seen in younger age groups mostly affecting women. Ankylosing spondylitis is seen in younger men. Though these conditions are usually seen in younger patients, they can present at an older age too.
Is Arthritis genetic? How did I get it when no one else in my family has it? Can my kids get it?
Rheumatoid arthritis and Ankylosing spondylitis can have a genetic susceptibility. In certain individual, genes such as HLA DR04 and HLA B27 are present. These genes are genetically inherited. Certain conditions affect individuals with those genes but the presence of the genes alone without symptoms does not mean one has the disease. This merely suggests an increased chance of arthritis if it is present in family members. Not all individuals who carry these genes have the symptoms or the disease and also these genes need not be present in all the patients. Inflammatory arthritis can occur in any individual though chances are higher if a family member is affected. Certain lifestyle choices like smoking do increase the chance of having the disease.
Is it ok if I don’t take any medication even after diagnosis?
Conditions like Rheumatoid arthritis and SLE can affect various internal organs including eyes, kidneys, heart and lungs even though outward symptoms of joint pains are mild. Therefore, early and appropriate treatment is a must to prevent involvement of these organs. Once complications and deformities occur, they are usually not reversible.
Are there many side effects to these medications?
Every medication has its own side effects, more so if taken unsupervised. The medications prescribed by a Rheumatologist are given after careful patient evaluation and consideration. Regular doctor visits and blood tests are a must to prevent any unwanted side effects. Long term clinical studies of these medications have not shown any serious side effects and have been found safe to use under doctors’ supervision.
How long should I take these medications?
Conditions such as Rheumatoid arthritis, SLE, Ankylosing spondylitis require long term treatment for a few years similar to diabetes or hypertension. Initial treatment will be aimed to reduce the disease activity and sometimes long-term treatment is required to reduce the disease activity in some patients.
Is this condition curable or is it a lifelong disease?
All Inflammatory arthritis and connective tissue diseases are long-term conditions. These conditions have tendency to flare up therefore prolonged treatment is required. Similar to other chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension symptoms and disease activity can be controlled for the patient to maintain a good quality of life.
Will the medications lower my immunity?
These medications modify the over active immune system. The abnormal immune system reactions are lowered though in some rare case the natural immunity can be affected. To avoid this, unsupervised medications are not advised and regular doctor follow ups are a must.
Will taking medications for so many years damage my body?
The medications are given only after careful evaluation. They reduce the disease activity. As with any medications side effects can occur but are rare. Usually, symptoms are due to the disease rather than the medication and multiple studies have shown safety over years though regular blood testing is required to assess the internal organ function.
My Rheumatoid factor is negative, how was I diagnosed with arthritis?
Rheumatoid factor is only one of the antibodies used to diagnose Rheumatoid arthritis. Around 20-30% of patient with Rheumatoid arthritis have a negative Rheumatoid factor and this is termed “Seronegative Arthritis”. Other antibodies such as Anti CCP antibodies can be present. Similarly various other Inflammatory arthritis’s are present such as Psoriatic arthritis, Gout and Ankylosing spondylitis which are different from Rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore, an appropriate clinical evaluation is necessary.
