What is Rheumatoid Arthritis and what are the Symptoms?

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic auto-immune systemic inflammatory disease of the connective tissue and mainly affects the joints.

It is a chronic disease because once started it tends to persist for many years. It is characterized by periods of flare-ups followed by remissions. And the main goal of modern therapy is to minimize the severity, frequency and duration of flare-ups and prolong the periods of disease inactivity as much as possible. Flare-ups can be caused by stress, allergies, injury, weather changes, parasites and ameobas.

It's an auto-immune disease because in Rheumatoid Arthritis the immune system attacks your body”s own tissues. Your immune system loses its ability to recognize your own cells. The immune system starts to produce antibodies called autoantibodies which attack your joint structures. The sinovial fluid, cartiledge, tendons, ligaments and the bone itself are all susceptible to breakdown. Every joint including the jaw can be affected.

It is systemic because not only your joints can be affected by Rheumatoid Arthritis but many organs throughout your body such as, kidneys, lungs, liver, heart and eyes.

It is inflammatory because it has the cardinal signs of inflammation: pain, swelling, redness and increased local temperature.

Rheumatoid Arthritis affects between 1 - 2% of the adult population worldwide, which in the U.S. adds up to more than 2 million sufferers.

Although the disease may occur at any age from infancy to the aged, usually it begins between the ages of 20 and 50 years. Women are affected 3 times more often than men. It affects people of all ethnic groups.

The disease itself is not inherited. But a tendency to develop the disease under certain circumstances, a susceptibility to it, can be inherited. Genes, which control this tendency may be activated by different factors including trauma, infection and stress. However, not everyone with these genes develops the disease.

It's possible that some germs to which almost everybody is exposed, can trigger abnormal behavior of the immune system in susceptible people. This process is still unclear, but it's possible that the immune system doesn’t distinguish between the germ’s proteins and the body’s own proteins because of some similarity in structure.

Mycoplasma is one of these suspect germs. So, mycoplasma infections and bacterial infections which tend to gather in the joints in those who are genetically susceptible, may cause Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Natural products that may kill bacteria and support the immune system are far better for you than long term antibiotics. Drugs that mask the symptoms can damage your organs, especially the kidneys and liver. And when your liver starts to break down, it puts the rest of your body in jeopardy. The immune system becomes worn out by continually trying to get rid of an increasing load of toxins and bacteria. Once the immune system is out of balance, you are open to many if not all of the symptoms of an auto-immune disease. Immune support is vital and doing as much as possible to aggressively kill the bacteria is essential.

Common Symptoms

Pain: With Rheumatoid Arthritis, the pain can be in every joint as your immune system progressively attacks your body, often causing deformed joints and immobility.

Fatigue: This is not the normal kind of fatigue you experience from working hard or long. This fatigue is the result of either too little or disturbed sleep, or a breakdown in your body's energy production mechanism. You often don't just feel tired you feel anxious and on edge.

Sleep Problems: You may wake up 3 to 4 times a night - 80% of people with Rheumatoid Arthritis do. And even if you don't come fully awake you may be subject to subliminal seizures which shock you out of a deep stage 4 sleep into a shallow stage 1 sleep. No matter how long you sleep, you rarely feel rested.

Short Term Memory Loss or Forgetfulness: This is a result of a lack of oxygen in your brain. If your thyroid gland is underactive - a condition which affects 85% of Rheumatoid Arthritis sufferers but only shows up in thyroid tests 10% of the time - or you have heart complications, the flow of blood to your brain is decreased. This deprives your brain cells of the oxygen they need to work properly.

Emotional Instability and Depression: Your hypothalamus gland, which controls your emotions, is affected. You may have a tendency to cry more easily, be more anxious and fearful, or feel depressed. These are all results of the disease, not reactions to it.

Hair Loss and Subnormal Body Temperature: Further indications that your thyroid gland is not working at 100%.

Gastrointestinal Problems: Excessive gas, bloating, cramps, diarrhea or constipation, hiatal hernia, irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn’s disease. One or more of these symptoms are experienced by 75% of people with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Heightened Sensitivity: Your body becomes hyper-sensitive. Allergies often develop. Your eyes may become light sensitive. You may develop a sense of vertigo. Or experience swollen glands, a heightened sensitivity to certain chemicals, or more frequent headaches.

Overactivity: This can cause serious problems. In healthy people your body lets you know when you should take a break - you feel pain or muscle fatigue or both. When you have Rheumatoid Arthritis this warning system becomes impaired - There is a tendency to overwork or overexercise when feeling good and then to feel worse for days afterward. Instead of telling you when to stop, your body lets you continue. Lactic acid builds up in your muscles and carbon dioxide is recirculated, depleting your cells of oxygen.

Low Blood Pressure, Fluttering Heart, Panic Attacks, Rapid Heartbeat: Your heart receives the wrong messages from your autonomous nervous system. The body picks up these signals and over-reacts, usually causing your heart to reduce the amount of blood it pumps through your body and stimulating these other symptoms.

Body Acidity and Toxicity: Usually people with Rheumatoid Arthritis are very toxic. This can be the result of a buildup of bacteria, antigens, fungi, viruses, allergins; environmental pollution; mercury tooth fillings or improper diet. Diseases flourish in a toxic environment.

Candida Yeast Infections: These are very common. If your tongue has a white coating, you have a yeast infection.

Other Common Symptoms include: Difficulty Digesting Protein; Liver Dysfunction; Low Blood Sugar; Tingling Hands; Ringing Ears; Cold Toes and Fingers; Metallic taste in your Mouth.

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