To prevent rheumatoid arthritis, these factors should be avoided

Rheumatoid arthritis is a common, chronic, highly disabling autoimmune disease. The disease often recurs and gradually worsens, eventually causing damage and deformity of the joint structure, leading to disability and loss of productivity in patients, placing a heavy burden on patients, their families and society.

Although the cause of rheumatoid arthritis has not yet been fully clarified, it is generally believed that the disease has a familial clustering and is closely related to genetic factors. In addition, it is also related to the following factors: if one of the parents is a patient with rheumatoid arthritis, the possibility of their children suffering from the disease is significantly higher. They are susceptible to rheumatoid arthritis and need to be especially vigilant in their daily work and life, reduce contact with these factors that can promote the disease, and avoid the disease as much as possible.

Avoid prolonged exposure to cold and humid environments

Cold and damp as adverse environmental factors may induce or aggravate the effects of certain rheumatoid arthritis pathogenic factors through autoimmune mechanisms. Some studies have shown that wind and damp and cold environments can cause abnormal contraction and relaxation of the synovial membrane of the joints, induce autoimmune reactions, aggravate the original immune dysfunction, and promote the occurrence of rheumatoid arthritis. People with a family history of rheumatoid arthritis must avoid being in a cold and damp environment for a long time as much as possible, and keep their joints warm when it is cold.

Smoking increases risk of disease

Anti-CCP antibodies, also known as anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies, are one of the specific antibodies for diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis. If anti-CCP is positive during physical examination, especially with high titers, the possibility of rheumatoid arthritis should be considered. Studies have shown that smoking can promote the formation of anti-CCP antibodies, which may be related to smoking activating the respiratory innate immune system and peptidyl arginine deiminase.

A study shows that people who have smoked for 25 years are much more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than those who have never smoked. Even if you don't smoke, the chances of developing rheumatoid arthritis will increase if you are exposed to secondhand smoke for a long time. The study also found that smokers can reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis by quitting smoking. The chances of developing the disease for people who quit smoking for 15 years have dropped by nearly 1/3. People with a family history of rheumatoid arthritis should not only not smoke, but also avoid being in a secondhand smoke environment for a long time.

Beware of microbial infection

It has been found that some pathogenic microorganism infections are also related to rheumatoid arthritis, and Proteus mirabilis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis are the two most relevant bacteria.

It is worth mentioning that periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis are also inextricably linked. The main pathogenic bacteria of periodontal disease is Porphyromonas gingivalis, which not only directly damages periodontal tissues, but can also enter the circulatory system, trigger the body's immune response, and cause tissue damage. Its infection is closely related to the onset and activity of rheumatoid arthritis. Studies have found that the prevalence of periodontitis is significantly correlated with the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis, and the overall disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis patients who receive periodontitis treatment has a more obvious decrease, while patients who actively receive rheumatoid treatment also have improved periodontitis. Therefore, people with a family history of rheumatoid arthritis should pay attention to oral hygiene, have regular oral examinations, and prevent and treat periodontal disease in a timely manner.

Pay attention to the early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis

The optimal treatment time window is 6 months to 1 year from onset of the disease. Early detection and diagnosis can effectively control symptoms and delay disease progression.

People with a family history of rheumatoid arthritis must pay attention to the early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis: redness of the skin around the joints, joint pain, joint swelling, joint fever, etc. Joint stiffness is usually accompanied by joint tenderness and pain, multiple joints are affected, and it presents as symmetrical polyarthritis. Joints that are easily affected include the hands, feet, wrists, ankles, and temporomandibular joints, and others may include the elbows, shoulders, cervical spine, hips, and knees.

Fatigue may appear before other symptoms, sometimes accompanied by a sense of strangeness or even depression. It may also be accompanied by weight loss, persistent low-grade fever, etc. Dry mouth, eye inflammation, difficulty falling asleep, chest pain when breathing, and loss of appetite may also occur.

People who have the above symptoms and have a family history of rheumatoid arthritis must see a doctor as soon as possible and undergo tests for rheumatoid factor, anti-CCP antibodies, etc.