World Autoimmune Arthritis Day 2024 is on Sunday, May 19, 2024: Will I get an autoimmune disease?

Sunday, May 19, 2024 is World Autoimmune Arthritis Day 2024. Arthritis Treatment‎ Learn About An Rx Treatment Option That May Manage Arthritis Pain.

My mom had rheumatoid arthritis, and I have it. Her mother did not have it but her grandma did. My mother's hands and knees are badly deformed from it, but I caught it right away and I immediately went on the medications they prescribed. I also have connective tissue disorder with the RH.

I train hard with weights at the gym three days a week. I jog every other day, and most people would never dream that I have these autoimmune diseases. I just refused to let it have the best of me.

the doctors first started me on Plaquinil, which worked well for me for several years. Then I had a flare, which bumped up my disease to the next level. I immediately started methotrexate (oral chemotherapy), and I had no trouble with the drug like other people complain. I am grateful for these medicines because I live a completely normal life because of them.

If you get an autoimmune disease it is not the end of world with the medications that are available.

Did you know that May 10 is world lupus day www.lupus.org?

Lupus is one of many disorders of the immune system known as autoimmune diseases. In autoimmune diseases, the immune system turns against parts of the body it is designed to protect. This leads to inflammation and damage to various body tissues. Lupus can affect many parts of the body, including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and brain. Although people with the disease may have many different symptoms, some of the most common ones include extreme fatigue, painful or swollen joints (arthritis), unexplained fever, skin rashes, and kidney problems.

At present, there is no cure for lupus. However, lupus can be effectively treated with drugs, and most people with the disease can lead active, healthy lives. Lupus is characterized by periods of illness, called flares, and periods of wellness, or remission. Understanding how to prevent flares and how to treat them when they do occur helps people with lupus maintain better health. Intense research is underway, and scientists funded by the NIH are continuing to make great strides in understanding the disease, which may ultimately lead to a cure.

where does arthritis pain occur and for how long..more questions on arthritis inside?

Their are over 100 different forms of Arthritis, however they tend to fall into but two categories: seropositive, where you test positive via a blood test and seronegative, where the blood test is negative. Therefore they state Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus as Autoimmune, where your own immune system attacks its own body and Osteoarthritis, what they term wear and tear, due to injury, aging, but they are now looking for a specific gene to see if it is inherited.

Usually it starts off insidious, harmful enough. I just woke up one morning with a red hot painful finger and went OH? I was 21. Then that went away and the thumb started, again red hot to the touch, painful to touch and forget about bending it! That went away. Year later I went to bed feeling well, woke up unable to get my head up off the pillow, the pain was excruciating. I saw my Doctor with each symptoms and he diagnosed: self-inflicted! I must have knocked the finger/thumb off something and the neck was a strain. The following year the lower back started to ache, but decided not to see the Doctor, just put it down to wearing new pair of high heels. It was not until the following year, I had been at a all day Conference that I got home took my shoes off and my middle toes was the size of my big toe, red hot and swollen, so I went to ER! They x-rayed and sent me home. The following morning all the toes were red hot and painful, so off to the Doctor who did a blood test? He got the results back in 3 hours, it was not what he thought it was, so more blood. He then gave me some drugs told me to go home and return in four days for the results. I was 29 when I heard those words 'You have tested positive for the Rheumatoid Factor'. Sounded like some new disease, so I asked for it in simple terms 'You have Arthritis'. I can remember thinking: Arthritis is a disease of old age, I am not even 29 until next month, so not even middle age, poor Doctor has the wrong Patients file, or is over worked. Then the Doctor said to me 'Have you ever had symptoms like this before? I thought and said 'No, my toes are normal'. He then looked back in my file and said 'Well what about the finger, thumb and neck problems?' I replied 'YOU told me they were self -inflicted knocks and strains!' It was another five years before I saw a Rheumatologist as the letter from the Doctor to the Consultant was never sent. So now at 50, no treatment because they missed the window at 29, be warned!

What is it like? Well exhaustion, tirdness are severe. Bit like having a really bad dose of the Flu, but without the sneezing, coughing, runny nose, just that feeling you are carrying the world around on a chain attached to your legs. Sleep is not easy, you tend to go to bed when your body tells you to go to bed and not at any set hour. Likewise if you are woken up, rather than allowed to wake up naturally, you feel like a Bear with a sore head. Morning stiffness lasts at least one hour, so you really do not feel like doing anything when you get up, have to wait for it to wear off. Appetite is not good, as you are not burning the calories off so you have no reason too eat outside of taking drugs.

Joint pain along with muscle pain and they can see if you have a Autoimmune form via blood test or Osteoarthritis just by examining the joint and doing a x-ray. Best of Luck