Is it possible to have mild rheumatoid arthritis?

Is it possible to have mild rheumatoid arthritis?

The severity of rheumatoid arthritis varies from person to person and can be mild, moderate, or severe. When you have rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system mistakenly attacks the linings of your joints (called synovium), causing them to become inflamed and painful.

Does mild RA need to be treated?

There isn’t a cure for RA, but there are many treatment options to help manage your symptoms and preserve quality of life. Your treatment plan will depend on the severity of your condition and how far it has progressed. Without treatment, RA can cause permanent joint damage.

When to know if you have mild rheumatoid arthritis?

Mild rheumatoid arthritis. Mild disease is, in my opinion, when the patient has no evidence of joint damage on x-rays; that is, there is no loss of bone density, and no sign of bone destruction due to the inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis. In mild disease, the patient most likely has less than an hour of significant morning stiffness.

Can a person test negative for rheumatoid arthritis?

Patients who test negative for rheumatoid factor but still exhibit symptoms and meet other diagnostic criteria may still be diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Patients who test positive for rheumatoid factor aren’t necessarily diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis right away.

Do you need to be afraid of rheumatoid arthritis?

But if you refuse or delay traditional treatment, you do so at your own peril, Cush says. “Rheumatoid arthritis is serious. Rheumatoid arthritis is progressive. It’s relentless,” he says. “Your biggest risk is underestimating RA. You should be way more afraid of the disease than you are of any drug. It’s a no-brainer.”

How to take care of your body with rheumatoid arthritis?

If you receive care for rheumatoid arthritis at Mayo Clinic, consider registering for this online class: Living Well with Rheumatoid Arthritis. You can take steps to care for your body if you have rheumatoid arthritis.

Mild rheumatoid arthritis. Mild disease is, in my opinion, when the patient has no evidence of joint damage on x-rays; that is, there is no loss of bone density, and no sign of bone destruction due to the inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis. In mild disease, the patient most likely has less than an hour of significant morning stiffness.

Who is the best rheumatologist for RA?

Anita Chandrasekaran, MD, MPH, is board-certified in internal medicine and rheumatology and currently works as a rheumatologist at Hartford Healthcare Medical Group in Connecticut. If you’re newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you may be wondering how severe the disease will become and what you can expect moving forward.

How is the prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis determined?

Initially, the prognosis for rheumatoid arthritis is based on how advanced the disease was when the patient was first diagnosed. 1  Another factor considered is the age of the patient when first diagnosed or at disease-onset (when the disease began).

But if you refuse or delay traditional treatment, you do so at your own peril, Cush says. “Rheumatoid arthritis is serious. Rheumatoid arthritis is progressive. It’s relentless,” he says. “Your biggest risk is underestimating RA. You should be way more afraid of the disease than you are of any drug. It’s a no-brainer.”