When rheumatoid arthritis is mentioned, ordinary people may start from the name of the disease and understand the meaning of the text, thinking that the performance of the joint is the only indicator to observe the progression of the disease. In fact, the essence of rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that mainly causes synovial inflammation of the cartilage and bone tissue destruction of small and medium-sized joints. Because rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease and has a systemic inflammatory effect, the accompanying symptoms are also relevant indicators for judging the progression of the disease, and fatigue is a common symptom of rheumatoid arthritis.
Fatigue, a common symptom of many musculoskeletal or bone diseases, occurs about 40% to 70% in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Fatigue not only affects the quality of life of patients, but also is related to the course of the disease, improving fatigue, is a key link in the relief of rheumatoid arthritis.
Recently, a British scholar published a paper in the journal Rheumatology. The scholars collected health data from 1236 patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. The analysis showed that the more joint sites where the pain occurred, the more severe fatigue also increased, but there was no significant correlation between erythrocyte sedimentation rate and fatigue. Studies have shown that more than 53% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis have significant symptoms of fatigue and fatigue persist, and women and patients with poor mental health, or those with more severe pain, have a higher risk of fatigue.
Researchers believe that the factors related to fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis are mainly divided into 3 categories, including factors of the disease itself, personal factors, and other factors. The factors of the disease itself mainly include disease activity status, inflammation, adverse drug reactions, and lack of sleep. Personal factors, mainly including pain level, mood, limb function, sleep, personality. Other factors, mainly including living habits, and simultaneous occurrence of disease conditions. American scholars found that 78% of rheumatoid arthritis patients believe that the disease has an impact on their life and work, affecting the related symptoms, 92% are fatigue, 84% are pain, and 50% are physical limitations. Therefore, it can be seen that fatigue is a key factor affecting the quality of life of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Why do rheumatoid arthritis patients feel tired? According to the explanation of immune recognition theory, the cells in our body are divided into three forms, namely living cells, apoptosis cells, and necrotic cells. Living cells are susceptible to aging and damage, and these cells must be cleared and renewed to maintain the normal function of the body. Apoptosis of living cells is a delicate process, and if the substances inside the cells are released, it may cause an inflammatory response. If the apoptosis process cannot be initiated in time, the cells will suddenly die, called necrosis, and the contents of necrotic cells can activate the immune system, causing autoimmune diseases. When inflammation occurs, it is actually similar to the process of infection, which is a disturbance to normal cell and tissue activities, and it is also an additional consumption, and symptoms such as fatigue begin to appear.
Fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, there are physiological and pathological factors, this fatigue can be aggravated by joint pain, some patients, may lack other obvious features, only fatigue as the main manifestation, and this fatigue, often will not be relieved after rest. Therefore, feeling fatigue should be tested for autoimmune diseases, and patients with confirmed rheumatoid arthritis who often feel fatigue need to be paid enough attention, because continuous fatigue may be a manifestation of the disease not being effectively controlled or aggravated.
The fatigue of rheumatoid arthritis patients needs to be solved by controlling disease activity and improving pain, and anti-rheumatic drugs can help reduce fatigue, but patients also need to be physically active, improve sleep, maintain mental health, and avoid emotional effects. At the same time, attention should be paid to the effects of drugs, for example, glucocorticoids, therefore, it is necessary to regulate the administration of drugs and reduce the adverse reactions of the drug. Proper physical activity, such as swimming or walking, and avoiding excessive weight-bearing or shock exercises, can help relieve fatigue as long as the exercise does not increase pain. In addition, you can also consider acupuncture, physiotherapy and other measures to help overcome fatigue.
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