Things Not to Say to a Rheumatoid Patient

 

1. Aren’t you feeling better yet?

2. You’re not old enough to have arthritis.

3.Oh, I know; me too.

4.Exercise would really help you feel better.

5.You don’t look swollen, sick, or ______

6.Have you tried counseling? Maybe you’re depressed



Living With RA

 

What’s it like living with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)?

Some Rheumatoid Arthritis patients have a mild course of the disease and live a somewhat normal life. Still, they probably live with regular doctor visits, the most expensive drugs in the world, side effects of those medicines, and several physical limitations. People with severe RA may experience deformity, damage, or disability even early in the disease. Most RA patients are somewhere in the middle. The two most common symptoms of RA are pain and fatigue.
RA is an autoimmune disease that attacks the joints and organs. However, RA is often a hidden illness because the damage is often not visible from a distance. This can make it difficult for RA patients to receive physical assistance or exceptions that they require to accommodate their limitations.
RA almost always progresses or becomes more severe over time. RA symptoms can improve and worsen alternately in some patients in a pattern called flares. It can be unpredictable how physically disabled a person with RA will be at any particular time. For many RA patients, this unpredictability is a source of frustration.