A lot has been talked about on immunity in these last two years during the COVID pandemic. People have understood that the ultimate fight against any disease, depends on how good is their immune system. They started trying all types of immunomodulators, and products hit the market claiming to boost immune function. People with good immunity fight the virus better, and people with comorbidities and impaired immunity either had to face a lot of difficulties or ultimately succumbed to the virus. This pandemic highlighted the role good immunity play in maintaining good health. But do you know that sometimes our immunity can cause a lot of damage to us!!!
Yes, several diseases are manifestations of the body’s immunity going haywire. Common examples of such diseases are psoriasis, vitiligo, scleroderma, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. There are many more such diseases, but the above ones are the most commonly occurring. These groups of diseases are known as Autoimmune diseases (AIDS). The name itself suggests that our immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues, and thus causes disease. The reason for this to happen is still unknown, but treatment is focused to make patients symptom-free as these are mostly incurable diseases. Some diseases like myasthenia gravis can be managed with ease with the use of drugs while others like multiple sclerosis can be quite debilitating, and ultimately fatal. Today we are going to discuss one such disease, which can be chronic and can in the long-term cause serious consequences. The name of the disease is Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease without a known cause and manifests as problems in joints. The chief complaint of the patient is morning joint stiffness with easing of symptoms after physical activity in an hour or so. Commonly involved are small joints of hands and feet. There are also other manifestations apart from joints and bones as it is a systemic disease. These extraarticular manifestations include extreme tiredness, nodules in the skin, lung problems, heart problems, nerve problems, blood vessel problems, and other hematologic problems. In recent times, there have been advances both in diagnostics and drug treatment of this disease, and hence the quality of life of patients has significantly improved. You should also consult an orthopedic doctor online to get an early diagnosis. But since it is a chronic disease and drugs used for its treatment include immunosuppressants, both the patient and the caregiver need to monitor the progression of this disease carefully.
The most common drugs used in the initial treatment of the disease include the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to manage pain and steroids to reduce flare-ups. Then comes the main type of drugs known as DMARDs (Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs) that slow the progression of the disease. One of the main drugs in this category is methotrexate, which is also used as a chemotherapeutic agent to treat several cancers. Leflunomide is another immunomodulatory drug that is used in the management of RA. These drugs when used for a long time and play fresh casino; can lead to the development of opportunistic infections because of reduced immunity. Thus, it is recommended to check about these medicines while consulting an orthopedic doctor. These infections are termed opportunistic as they can only infect if they get an opportunity which is when immunity is suppressed due to any reason. Now the biggest problem is the development of lung infection. This is because chronic rheumatoid arthritis; can lead to the development of a lung disease known as Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD). This, coupled with an opportunistic lung infection, can lead to fatal consequences. We recently had one patient suffering from chronic RA who had developed Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) and lung infection due to immunosuppression. She was admitted to the hospital on 16th Dec 2021 and passed away on 6th Jan 2022. Her lungs were damaged beyond repair and a lung transplant was not an option.
Our body is an engineering marvel, and there is a lot still to be discovered. Despite so many advances in the medical field for the past decades, scientists still find something in the body previously left undiscovered. For example, recently scientists discovered another nervous system that is located in the gastrointestinal system and termed it the enteric nervous system. Still another example is the recent discovery of a new salivary gland. Thus, we are still not close to unraveling the mysteries of life. As described in this article, immunity is central to the proper functioning of the body but if it gets out of control, it can start attacking normal tissues and cause multiple diseases. Here we discussed Rheumatoid Arthritis as it is found commonly and affects the quality of life of innumerable patients. This article also highlights the importance of the right medication and monitoring by the patient as well as the caregiver. It equally suggests timely health checkups. One can do so without leaving their homes as well – Consult a doctor online at our MediFlam platform. Rheumatoid Arthritis is not only the disease of joints, as perceived by most people, but can affect multiple organs in the long run. Consulting an orthopedic during the early state, following the prescribed drug intake, and proper care can improve therapeutic outcomes significantly.
