Hello! I have been a doctor for 21 years. My name is Georgy Olegovich Sapego. In this article, I will discuss the causes of rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition in which our own immunity begins to eat away at our joints. It is the most common type of arthritis in the world. It affects about 1% of all people.
If rheumatoid arthritis is treated anyhow, then after 10 years half of the patients will not be able to work. Every fourth in the next 20 years will have to change to artificial joints. Plus, many different other diseases will be added to this. Therefore, people with rheumatoid arthritis live shorter lives.
Risk factors for developing rheumatoid arthritis
In the first place heredity. If first-line relatives have rheumatoid arthritis, your chances of getting it are about three times higher than other people.
Age
Rheumatoid arthritis usually begins in old age.
Floor
Women get sick more often.
Smoking
For some reason, it very strongly predisposes to the development of rheumatoid arthritis. This case is explained by the fact that smoking spoils the amino acids in the lungs, and the immune system suddenly begins to take these amino acids for the enemy. This is how a war begins inside our body. Then the fighting spreads to the joints and other organs.
Alcohol
Here, for some reason, the opposite. People who drink lightly are less likely to get rheumatoid arthritis.
Diet
It seems that those people who eat more fish and omega-3 fatty acids are less likely to have rheumatoid arthritis. But it is more common among those who love red meat, sweet soda and do not eat vegetables.
Vitamin D
I would like to believe that vitamin D is useful for this case, but so far it has not been confirmed for sure.
Exercise stress
It is believed that an active lifestyle and all kinds of exercise will help reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. But this, too, has not yet been confirmed by scientific research.
Obesity
This is definitely harmful. Again, probably, those inflammatory substances that we have already discussed here several times interfere. Read about them at the link below.
Hormones
Everything is complicated here. Breastfeeding reduces the risk, hormonal contraceptives increase it slightly. Any other situation like early menopause, hormone replacement therapy or male testosterone problems is not entirely clear how they affect this.
Inflammation of the mucous membranes
This is an interesting point. Inflammation of the mouth and lungs increases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
Inflammation in the gums is of particular importance. Bacteria live there, which also know how to spoil amino acids.
Usually we are talking about the amino acid citrulline. Citrulline is normally present in the hair of mammals. This amino acid can be derived from another amino acid, arginine. This process is called citrullinization. It seems that citrulline is not always good for our immune system.
All this complicated chemistry doesn't have to be associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Some harmful environmental factors are constantly acting on our mucous membranes, and from this citrullinization of proteins occurs. It's just that some people are unlucky enough to have a genetic predisposition to developing rheumatoid arthritis.
Occupational hazards
If you have to work for a long time in dust containing silicon, or in a cloud of solvents, the risk of rheumatoid arthritis increases dramatically.
Nerves
Stress and related mental disorders undermine the immune system and can provoke the development of autoimmune reactions.
Prevention
Now for the good. Something depends on ourselves. Do not smoke, eat a variety of foods, maintain a healthy weight, remain physically active, watch your teeth, and wear respirators where dust or harmful fumes are in the air. This will significantly reduce your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
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