In most cases, the disease is insidious installed progressivelywithin a few weeks or months. However, it happens suddenly oryour symptoms would come to settle in the form of "put " (a fewdays or weeks), interspersed with periods of remission that canvary from several weeks to several years.
At about 25% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis which dates back at least three months, the illness resolves in a definitive, or atleast, for a very long time. The reasons for this remissions are notalways known. Sometimes a viral infection or administration ofdrugs can cause a flare of arthritis alone.
Since its onset, the presence of certain antibodies in the blood(such as rheumatoid factor) shows that rheumatoid arthritis waschronically installed.
When not properly treated, the disease can lead to loss of joint mobility. Thus, simple movements such as twisting a handle orgrasping an object becomes difficult. In severe cases, the diseasebecomes debilitating, and the patient is immobilized in a wheelchair.
Joint deformities often occur in time (fingers "swan neck" or"hammer")
Rheumatoid Arthritis reduces life expectancy by 3-10 years,because chronic inflammation increases the risk of cardiovasculardisorders and infections. Other causes of death are bleeding andgastrointestinal drugs.
At least 10% of patients have a severe disability, despite treatment. Women have a worse diagnosis, as well as patientswith subcutaneous nodules, age at onset, more than 20 jointinflammation, high rheumatoid factor and those who continue to smoke.
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