Rheumatoid arthritis is a common chronic, highly disabling autoimmune disease, the condition is recurrent and gradually aggravated, ultimately resulting in structural destruction of the joints, deformity, leading to disability, loss of labour, bringing a heavy burden to patients, families and society.
Although the cause of rheumatoid arthritis has not yet been fully clarified, it is generally believed that the disease has a family aggregation and is closely related to genetic factors. In addition, it is also related to the following factors, if one of the parents is a rheumatoid arthritis patient, the possibility of their children suffering from the disease is significantly higher, belonging to the susceptible group of rheumatoid arthritis, in the daily work and life, especially need to be more vigilant, to reduce exposure to these factors that can promote the onset of the disease, as far as possible to avoid the disease.
Avoid prolonged exposure to cold and humid environments
Cold and humidity, as adverse environmental factors, may induce or exacerbate the effects of certain rheumatoid arthritis-causing factors through autoimmune mechanisms. Some studies have suggested that wind and damp cold environments can cause the synovial membrane to contract abnormally, triggering an autoimmune response, leading to an increase in existing immune disorders and contributing to the development of rheumatoid arthritis. People with a family history of rheumatoid arthritis must avoid prolonged exposure to cold and damp environments 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 the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, and the possibility of rheumatoid arthritis should be considered if anti-CCP is found to be positive during a check-up, especially if the titre is high. Studies have shown that smoking promotes the formation of anti-CCP antibodies, which may be related to the activation of the natural immune system of the respiratory tract and peptidylarginine deiminase by smoking.
One study showed that smokers who have smoked for up to 25 years are much more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than those who have never smoked. Even non-smokers who are chronically exposed to second-hand smoke are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis. The study also found that smokers who quit smoking can reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis, quit smoking for 15 years the probability of developing the disease decreased by nearly 1/3. people with a family history of rheumatoid arthritis, not only don’t smoke, but also to avoid prolonged exposure to second-hand smoke environment.
Vigilance against microbial infections
Some pathogenic microbial infections have been found to be associated with rheumatoid arthritis, with Mycobacterium avium subspecies and Mycobacterium tuberculosis being the two most relevant bacteria.
It is worth noting that periodontal disease is also inextricably linked to rheumatoid arthritis. The causative organism of periodontal disease is Porphyromonas gingivalis, which not only directly damages periodontal tissues, but also enters the circulatory system, triggering the body’s immune response and causing tissue damage, and its infection is closely related to the onset of rheumatoid arthritis and the activity of the disease. It was found that the prevalence of periodontitis was significantly correlated with the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis, and that the overall disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis patients who received periodontitis treatment decreased more significantly, while patients who also received active rheumatoid treatment also experienced improvement in their periodontitis. Therefore, people with a family history of rheumatoid arthritis should pay attention to oral hygiene, regular oral examination, timely prevention and treatment of periodontal disease.
Watch out for early signs of rheumatoid arthritis
The best time window for treatment is 6 months to 1 year after the onset of the disease. Early detection and diagnosis can effectively control symptoms and slow down the progression of the disease.
People with a family history of rheumatoid arthritis should be aware of the early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis: reddening of the skin around the joints, joint pain, swelling of the joints, and warmth of the joints. Joint stiffness is usually accompanied by joint tenderness and pain, and multiple joints are involved in a symmetrical polyarthritis. The joints that are easily affected include hands, feet, wrists, ankles and temporomandibular joints, etc. Other joints may include elbows, shoulders, cervical vertebrae, hips and knees.
Fatigue can be the first symptom to appear before other symptoms, sometimes accompanied by a feeling of alienation or even depression. It is also accompanied by weight loss and persistent low-grade fever. Dry mouth and irritated eyes, difficulty sleeping, chest pain when breathing, and loss of appetite may also occur.
People who experience these symptoms and have a family history of rheumatoid arthritis must seek medical attention as soon as possible for tests such as rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP antibodies.