Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis Relief
for Niagara Falls, NY
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease. This means that your immune system attacks healthy tissue including your joints. It affects the joint linings, causing painful swelling. Over prolonged periods, it can cause bone erosion and bone deformities. Rheumatoid arthritis can cause swelling and inflammation throughout your entire body including your hands, wrists, knees, feet, and ankles. The pain and inflammation can make life difficult for those affected by the disease. Chronic pain, lack of balance, and bone deformities are some of the issues caused by disease. Thankfully, there are treatments that can help manage your systems and treat rheumatoid arthritis.
Risk Factors for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Knowing the risk factors can help you control what you can to reduce your likelihood of developing rheumatoid arthritis. Unfortunately, not everything is within your control. Here are some of the risk factors for developing RA, according to the CDC.
- Age: The disease can begin at any age, but the probability of it increases as we age. The disease is most prominent in people in their sixties.
- Gender: Rheumatoid arthritis is two to three times more likely to affect a woman than it is a man.
- Weight: Being overweight increases the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. The more overweight you may be, the greater the risk for you.
- Smoking: Being a smoker increases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
- Genes: People who are born with specific genes have an increased likelihood of developing RA. These genes are called HLA (human leukocyte antigen) class II genotypes.
Contact Our Foot Doctor Today!
Dr. Richard Sawicki is a foot doctor serving the Niagara Falls, NY area. Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that can cause pain and inflammation in your joints including in your feet and ankles. There are treatments that can help manage symptoms and treat the disease such as medications, weight management, and taking precautions when doing physical activity or making certain movements.
Contact our foot doctor today for help treating your rheumatoid arthritis!