...Human NutritionProfessor Chitra Wendakoon | Rheumatoid Arthritis | By Daniel Schramm | Schramm 2/24/2013 | What is Rheumatoid Arthritis? Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease that we do not get from a virus or human contact. The disease is our own body’s immune system turned against its self. Your immune system is an assembly of cells and organs intended to safeguard your body from external intruders. Your structure comprises the spleen, lymph nodes, tonsils, bone marrow and white blood cells. All these work collectively to fight off germs and infections that can harm you or make you sick. When your immune system is not working properly, it sees your own body as an enemy which it attacks, therefore generating a potential illness with an auto immune disease such as Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). There are several types of auto immune diseases that can upset the body; more notably, the heart, lungs kidneys, brain as well as the joints. Since the 1930′s researchers have been exploring the link between diet and arthritis. We continue to hear claims that special diets, foods and supplements may help to cure or alleviate symptoms of arthritis, but most claims are unproven. Many experts speculate that claims of nutritional remedies and cures with food or dietary supplements are related to the “placebo affect”. The placebo effect is the patient’s perception of improved symptoms and well-being, resulting from new therapy, regardless of evidence for actual...
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...Primary Care Physician Initial Evaluation: Patient Name: Mrs. Wright (53 years old) Description: Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis HISTORY: Mrs. Wright is a 53-year old female who visited Dr. Curtis on 9/21/2013 for devastating pain dealing with her rheumatoid arthritis. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis on 4/2/2010 by Dr. Ruppert. She was later diagnosed with osteoporosis on 8/5/2010. Along with her arthritis pain, she has other conditions such as: Raynaud syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome-associated constipation (IBS-C), gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), and chronic urinary tract and upper respiratory infections. She has gained weight because of the lack of exercise she has performing. Wright complains she is too tired to work out and gets tired throughout the day performing normal activities. She also insists she cannot work out because she always gets hot flashes from her menopause and is simply too hot to work out. Wright also explained she lives alone and cannot always go to see a physician because she cannot get someone to drive her there. She is no longer taking the three medications, hydroxychloroquine, methotrexate, and prednisone, prescribed by Dr. Ruppert. She explains she had experienced intolerable side effects, including reflux, alopecia, and severe photosensitivity. Dr. Ruppert ordered a comprehensive laboratory evaluation and identified the following: IgG4 food-specific antibodies, essential fatty acid and amino acid imbalances, nutrient...
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...Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, auto-immune disorder that causes irreversible damage. This type of arthritis causes stiffness, swelling, pain, and joint destruction. Because of the loss of function and deformity that results from this disease, the best treatment potions are early and aggressive. As Lewis, Dirksen, Heitkemper, and Bucher (2014) explained, “The primary goals in the management of RA are the reduction of inflammation, management of pain, maintenance of joint function, and prevention or minimization of joint deformity”. The proper use of drug therapy can treat all of these goals. Using the nursing process during drug therapy ensures safe, effective treatment. The nursing process offers a systematic approach that aids...
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...& Toys for 4 – 5 Year Olds * Health * Newborn Babies * Skin Problems * Illness * Eyes, Ears, Mouth and Nose * Teen Health * Chronic Conditions * Arthritis * Fibromyalgia * Cholesterol * Diabetes * Depression * Cardiovascular Disease * Adult Health * Allergies * Anaphylaxis * Diagnosis * Newly Diagnosed * Allergy Gear & Fundraising * Allergy Friendly Recipes * Cakes * Muffins * Breads * Pancakes * Cookies & Bars * Meals * Contact Us | Home > Health > Chronic Conditions > Arthritis Arthritis What is ARTHRITIS? Arthritis is a general term for more than 100 diseases and conditions that affect the joints of the bones. It is a degenerative bone disease. Many people with arthritis do not have any symptoms in the early stages. Later, as it progresses, arthritis symptoms may include joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. Swelling may cause the skin to look tight, smooth or shiny. The muscles surrounding the joint may be sore, too. Some common forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis, gouty arthritis (a.k.a. gout), rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and fibromyalgia. While not all of the causes of arthritis are known, several factors that may contribute to a person’s risk of developing the condition have been identified, including… Heredity: A person’s family history may determine the shape of...
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...will be outlined in this paper. Which are social, financial and personal effects that this disease can have on a person. As well as what a patient has to go through when learning about their disease and living through the experience. Lastly, this paper will touch on the motivators that can be used when maintaining a positive outlook on the patient's life. When discussing what is Lyme disease many thoughts come to head because Lyme's disease is a complex yet very silent disease. This disease is known as "The great Imitator" (Lymedisease.org 2013) this is because the symptoms that arise are like other well known diseases. Some examples of these diseases are; Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, ALS, Multiple Sclerosis, Depression and Rheumatoid Arthritis (Lymedisease.org 2013). By the time that Lyme's disease is diagnosis the symptoms and the disease process have become chronic. When someone gets infected this disease with the Lyme spirochetes, which is a poppy like size tick (Lymedisease.org 2013). The most common forms of testing are the Elisa and the Western Blot. These test are not always accurate and discourage the patients most of the time. According to the California Lyme disease Association; 200,000 new cases are reported each year. Lyme disease is one of the fastest growing and misunderstood diseases according to Lymedisease.org. Once diagnosed and the mystery of what you have, then the battle begins. One story online that sticks out to me is one of the Lyme...
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...SJOGREN’S SYNDROME Melinda Aikins November 18, 2010 PREFACE Sjogren’s syndrome, pronounced “shogrens”, is not a well known disease, but there are many people in the world who have it. 80% of them are women. I am among that 80%. I chose this subject to learn more about this disease I was diagnosed with over eight months ago. I’ve been researching it ever since and now I have a chance to put everything I’ve learned into something that is helpful not only to me, but also others. It’s hard to come to terms with my diagnosis, but I’ve realized that ignoring it doesn’t make it go away. Outline I. Symptoms of Sjogren’s Syndrome A. Overall dryness B. Fatigue and soreness C. Mental II. History A. First mention B. Henrik Sjogren III. Causes A. Factors B. Suspects: bacteria or virus? IV. Forms A. Primary B. Secondary V. Risks A. Other organs affected B. Pregnancy complications VI. Diagnosis and treatment A. Difficulty B. You and your doctor Imagine living your life with dry eyes and a mouth so dry that you have difficulty speaking, swallowing, chewing, and eating any kind of acidic food. Sjogren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disease that is characterized by the dryness and grittiness of the eyes and mouth. “Sjogren’s syndrome affects 1-4 million people in the United States. Most people are more than 40 years old at the time of diagnosis. Women are 9 times more...
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...working * Normal levels does not always indicate no inflammation * SLE, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Scleroderma, Polymyositis and dermatomyositis can elicit no a negative result for CRP. Positive results can appear in: * Cancer * Connective tissue disease * Heart attack * Infection * Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) * Pneumococcal pneumonia * Tuberculosis ASO * Anti-Streptolysin O * Antibody specific for Streptolysin O, a toxin produced by groups A, C and G streptococci * Streptolysin O causes beta hemolysis * ASO titer is used to determine a recent streptococcal infection * Measured in Todd units * 6 hour fasting is needed before blood is to be extracted Procedure Significance * To confirm streptococcal infection * Used as diagnosis or confirmatory test for rheumatism or scarlet fever * ASO titer is based on the neutralization of the streptococcal enzyme streptolysin O. * Some antibiotics and corticosteroids may decrease ASO antibody levels. Reference Values * Normal Children: less than 300 Todd units * Normal Adult: less than 200 Todd units Results * Positive result: Agglutination * Negative result: No Agglutination * A positive result occurs in the presence of: * Bacterial endocarditis * Glomerulonephritis * Rheumatic fever * Scarlet fever * Strep throat RHEUMATOID...
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...Introduction According to the World Federation of Occupational Therapy, occupational therapy is a profession which is concerned with the promotion of well-being and health of individuals through engaging them in occupation. It is a holistic healthcare profession with an aim to promote health in individuals by enabling them to perform purposeful and meaningful activities across their lifespan. Occupational therapist by using different treatments help their patients with a mental, physical or developmental conditions to recover, develop or maintain daily work and life skills in themselves. OT is client-centered and see client as an integral part in the process of Occupational therapy. Therapist gives individualized attention and evaluation to his/her client or clients (individual and families) in learning the current state of affairs and the desired state of affairs in client’s life. occupational therapist learn about the goals his/her client is trying to achieve (desired state of affairs) uses his experience and judgment to alter the goals if necessary and align them with the abilities and resources clients hold to achieve them or help clients achieve the necessary skills and knowledge required to achieve his goals. Occupational therapy services may include comprehensive evaluations of the client’s home and other environments (e.g. workplace, school), recommendations for adaptive equipment and training in its use, and guidance and education for family members...
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...John Blake and Cole Dominguez are both employed at Sycamore Pharmaceuticals. This case study is about the company manipulating scientific studies to say that the popular drug Osteoporin which is also used for rheumatoid arthritis was supposed to help the treatment of Crohn’s disease and lupus, but the scientific findings came back negative in helping with those two diseases. John Blake seems to be a sincere man and was truly feeling bad for not reporting the findings to anyone and keeping his mouth shut. He was nervous, upset and showing that he was remorseful for taking part in this situation. Cole Dominguez was the complete opposite of those qualities. He was more concerned with losing his next month’s quarterly bonus than feeling bad for the situation at hand. Each man had different views and attitudes towards how they were going to handle the scandal. Dominguez was going to stand by the manager no matter what in fear of losing his job in his defense he said he was only following orders. That may be true, but he showed no remorse or compassion for the patients that were affected by this situation. His philosophy was along as he did was he was told by the manager he would be not held responsible. This showed his lack of personal ethical values. He is just as guilty as the manager of concealing this information. He felt that when the publicity died down he could condone his behavior and part in the study by simply telling people he was only...
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...such as "box both ears." As you move, you breathe deeply and naturally, focusing your attention — as in some kinds of meditation — on your bodily sensations. Tai chi differs from other types of exercise in several respects. The movements are usually circular and never forced, the muscles are relaxed rather than tensed, the joints are not fully extended or bent, and connective tissues are not stretched. Tai chi can be easily adapted for anyone, from the fit to people confined to wheelchairs or recovering from surgery. The results of a new analysis have provided good evidence to suggest that Tai Chi is beneficial for arthritis. Specifically, it was shown to decrease pain with trends towards improving overall physical health, level of tension and satisfaction with health status. (Medscape) Musculoskeletal pain, such as that experienced by people with arthritis, places a severe burden on the patient and community and is recognized as an international health priority. Exercise therapy including such as strengthening, stretching and aerobic programs, have been shown to be effective for arthritic pain. Tai Chi is a form of exercise that is regularly practiced in China to improve overall health and well-being. It is usually preformed in a group but is also practiced individually at one’s leisure, which differs from traditional...
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...Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a complex disease that can affect many body systems. “Lupus is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that can affect many parts of your body, including your skin, joints, kidneys, blood cells, heart and lungs” (Mayo Clinic, 2004, p.1). The diagnosis of Lupus evokes many questions and concerns in the patient. Educating patients is a major responsibility of nurses; therefore, the nurse should be knowledgeable in answering these questions. The nurse should be knowledgeable in answering these questions as educating patients is a major responsibility of nurses. Each patient is different; therefore, the education method should be individualized. You must take into consideration the patient’s motivation to learn and also the patient’s learning style. Motivation (or readiness) to learn must be determined in the early stages of developing a teaching plan. The more motivated the patient is to learn, the more cooperative and attentive they will be during the implementation of the teaching plan. Patients who participate in their own care are more likely to retain the information presented to them. When assessing the motivation of the patient, consider if the patient has asked questions about his or her condition. Asking questions shows that the patient has a desire or motivation to learn more about his or her condition. Does the patient appear interested in learning more about his or her disease? Has the patient accepted the diagnosis or is he or...
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...Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder. This autoimmune disorder causes the immune system in your body to attack the tissues around the lined synovial membrane of your joints. Currently, there is no known cause of rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers are trying to determine if one’s genes, environmental factors, or a specific virus or bacteria causes rheumatoid arthritis. A person can have certain symptoms that can lead to a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Two of the common symptoms are the one’s joints are swollen and are stiff throughout the day. Bumps under one’s skin, in which the bump is actually tissue, is also another common symptom. Fatigue, fever, and weight loss are three other symptoms that people with rheumatoid arthritis have, but the patients do not always associate those symptoms with having rheumatoid arthritis. Even though there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, there are several medications that can be taken to help alleviate the symptoms....
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...Lupus is one of many disorders of the immune system. Like lupus and other autoimmune diseases, causes the immune system to turn against body parts it is designated to protect, causing inflammation and damage to various body organs. Some of the parts that can be affected include the joints, kidneys, skin, heart, lungs, brain, and blood vessels. People with lupus disease must understand and learn how to avoid flares and how to deal with it. According to various research and studies, lupus is more common in women and can run in families. I would like to take a moment to talk to you about my husband. For years he suffered from headaches, joint pains and inflammation. Two years ago his family doctor sending to have an antinuclear antibody...
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...Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that can affect more than just your joints. In some people, the condition also can damage a wide variety of body systems, including the skin, eyes, lungs, heart and blood vessels. An autoimmune disorder, rheumatoid arthritis occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body's tissues. Unlike the wear-and-tear damage of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis affects the lining of your joints, causing a painful swelling that can eventually result in bone erosion and joint deformity. The inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis is what can damage other parts of the body as well. While new types of medications have improved treatment options dramatically, severe rheumatoid arthritis can still cause physical disabilities. Symptoms & causes. March 18, 2016 Print Share on: Facebook Twitter References RelatedEase rheumatoid arthritis symptoms in the morning Rheumatoid arthritis: Can it affect the lungs? Tips for coping with rheumatoid arthritis Care for your lawn and garden without hurting your joints Living a full life with rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis and exercise Is depression a factor in rheumatoid arthritis? Who gets rheumatoid arthritis? How can I decrease the fatigue of rheumatoid arthritis? Limit rheumatoid arthritis pain when you grocery shop Rheumatoid arthritis: Which joints are most commonly affected? Rheumatoid arthritis...
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...MIXED CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISEASE Dominique Lewis Anatomy & Physiology I | BIO1011 15 South University . Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) What’s considered to be an autoimmune disorder, Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) is one of the most puzzling diseases due to its overlapping characteristics. These overlapping characteristics include the diseases systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis, and polymyositis (http://lup.sagepub.com/content/15/3/132.short). Though the disease is somewhat unknown and presumably hereditary, the uncovered cause and criteria for diagnosis is linked through like antibodies and antigens (http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM197611182952101). MCTD affects numerous body systems i.e. skeletal, muscular, skeletal, digestive, and nervous (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases_conditions/hic_Mixed_Connective_Tissue_Disease). Treatment for this disease is patient specific depending on the severity of each case; while the medications prescribed are ailment specific, creating a huge risk of developing side effects due to contraindications and normal use. In diagnosing these side effects, one must first explore the history of MCTD. What is Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD)? In 1972 (Venables) Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) was first recognized for its overlapping features by its like or “mixed” similarities noticed in patients presenting with signs and symptoms of three autoimmune connective...
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