Rheumatoid Arthritis diagnosis & treatment in Bhubaneswar
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the lining of your joints, causing pain, swelling and morning stiffness.
What is rheumatoid arthritis?
an autoimmune joint disease
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease in which there is inflammation of the joint synovium — the lining of the joints — because of an immune attack.
- It usually affects small and large joints of both the upper and lower limbs.
- Due to inflammation, there is pain, swelling and difficulty in movement of the joints.
- Symptoms become more prominent in the morning hours, after getting up from bed.
- Patients usually have difficulty in holding objects, raising the hand and performing day-to-day activities.
Signs & symptoms
what RA feels like
- Usually RA presents with pain, swelling and stiffness of the small joints of the hand after getting up from bed.
- A person suffering from RA may have difficulty in making a fist of the hand, combing the hair, opening a water bottle, brushing the teeth, getting up from the chair etc.
- RA can affect any joints of the body — starting from the cervical spine, shoulder, wrist and small joints of the hand to the knee, ankle and small joints of the foot. Usually it doesn’t affect the lower back and terminal finger joints.
- Many a times it causes joint deformity, making the patient bedbound.
- Apart from the joints, it can affect other body parts like the lungs, causing dry cough and breathlessness, the eyes (red eye), skin nodules etc.
- If not treated in time, it may increase the risk of heart attack.
Watch: Dr. Parida explains rheumatoid arthritis symptoms (opens YouTube)
Morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes? See a rheumatologist early — with proper treatment from an early stage, the joint deformity RA causes can be prevented.
Book AppointmentWhat causes
rheumatoid arthritis?
- Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which there is inflammation of the joint synovium because of an immune attack.
- Normally our immune system attacks outside invading organisms like bacteria and viruses, and is designed to protect our own body parts, like the joints.
- In rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system becomes dysregulated and attacks one’s own joints. Although it is not completely known why this happens, there is a contribution of multiple factors such as genes, environment, infection etc.
- Smoking and poor dental hygiene (gingivitis) are known to trigger the autoimmune process in some patients having rheumatoid arthritis.
Watch: Primary reasons behind arthritis — Dr. Jyoti Ranjan Parida (opens YouTube)
Rheumatoid arthritis
at a glance
Although some genetic factors are responsible for RA, it doesn’t usually run in families.
Rheumatologists are the specialists who are trained to treat this disease.
How rheumatoid arthritis
is diagnosed
RA is mainly diagnosed by a trained rheumatologist — it should never be diagnosed on a blood test alone.
RA is mainly diagnosed by a trained rheumatologist or physician by taking a complete symptom history and a good clinical examination. RA should not be diagnosed only based upon a blood test.
Rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP antibody tests help in making the diagnosis — with proper rheumatology consultation. Some normal healthy persons have these antibodies in low quantity without the disease, while one-third of RA patients have negative blood tests yet suffer from RA (seronegative rheumatoid arthritis).
Radiological tests like X-ray are helpful only in detecting long-term joint damage. In doubtful cases, the physician may ask for an MRI of the joints, which picks up disease inflammation at an early stage. Usually these tests are not required.
Some blood tests are ordered to monitor the effects of prescribed drugs. These include Complete Blood Count (CBC), C-Reactive Protein (CRP), Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), Liver Function Test (LFT) and Kidney Function Test.
Watch: What is Rheumatoid Arthritis — Dr. Jyoti Ranjan Parida (opens YouTube)
How rheumatoid arthritis
is treated
Short-term relief
You may be prescribed painkillers (NSAIDs) and low-dose steroid medications at disease onset for pain relief — but usually they are given only for short periods.
DMARDs — the main treatment
The drugs that are useful in treating RA are known as DMARDs (Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs). They include Methotrexate, Sulfasalazine, Hydroxychloroquine, Leflunomide etc. If taken properly under supervision, these drugs help to control joint inflammation and give the patient a normal life.
Supervision & monitoring
These drugs should be prescribed and taken under the supervision of a rheumatologist, as they are trained to periodically monitor your blood tests to look for any side effects of these drugs.
Biologic drugs
Biological drugs are new drugs that target specific molecules like TNF and other cytokines which incite inflammation in RA. They are very effective drugs but, because of high costs, are usually given after failure of other drugs. Biologic drugs that are effective in RA include Etanercept, Adalimumab, Infliximab, Golimumab, Rituximab, Tocilizumab, Abatacept etc.
Our Treat-to-Target approach
RA care at OARC works towards a target agreed with you from the first visit — remission, or low disease activity where that is more realistic. At each review, your disease activity is measured with the DAS28 score, built from an examination of your joints, your blood inflammation markers and your own rating of how you are doing. That score, rather than guesswork, guides every decision: active disease prompts a step-up in treatment, while sustained remission may allow a careful, supervised step-down of medicines.
Review visits with the OARC rheumatology team run Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM–2:00 PM and 4:30–9:00 PM. Call +91 93386 53086 or book online.
How OARC Can Help?
At OARC, we offer holistic care to patients suffering from all kinds of arthritis and autoimmune diseases by our renowned rheumatologists. Because of the chronic nature of the disease, we spend time with the patient helping them to know about their disease, and demystify the myths regarding the disease and treatment. We have collaboration with an NABL accredited laboratory where all kinds of blood tests can be done at reasonable costs. We also have a patient support system which patients can approach in case of any emergency. We believe in a friendly relation with patients so that they can share all their sufferings and get the best possible treatment.
- Best doctors to treat
- State-of-the-art clinic
- All facilities available under one roof
- NABL accredited laboratory
- Same-day test results
- Convenient location
Watch: How to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis — Prof. Dr. Jyoti Ranjan Parida (opens YouTube)
What happens if RA
is left untreated?
- With proper treatment, a rheumatoid arthritis patient can lead a normal life without pain and deformity.
- But if not treated properly from an early stage, there may be severe joint deformity and crippling.
- It may increase the risk of heart attack.
- It may involve other organs — the lungs causing interstitial lung disease, the eyes causing scleritis, the nerves causing neuropathy etc.
Questions to ask your doctor
- Which DMARD is right for me, and how long before it starts working?
- How often will my blood tests be monitored while on treatment?
- What side effects should I watch for, and when should I call the clinic?
- Can I exercise and continue my day-to-day activities?
- What are my chances of remission and a normal life with treatment?
Frequently Asked Questions
arthritis care in Odisha
Meet the rheumatologist
behind your care
Dr. Jyoti Ranjan Parida
Founder & Lead Rheumatologist at OARC. Dr. Parida pioneered specialist rheumatology care in Odisha since 2014 and leads the OARC rheumatology team — with fellow rheumatologist Dr. Debashis Maikap — at our Bhubaneswar centre. Consultations run Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM–2:00 PM and 4:30–9:00 PM.
Media Appearances
Watch: Dr. Parida on Etv News Odia — Rheumatoid Arthritis (opens YouTube)