Introduction
A chronic disease is one lasting 3 months or more, by the definition of the U. S. National Center for Health Statistics. Chronic Diseases generally cannot be prevented by vaccines or cured by medication, nor do they just disappear. Chronic diseases tend to become more common with age. The leading chronic diseases in developed countries include arthritis, cardiovascular disease such as breast and colon cancer, diabetes, epilepsy and seizures, obesity and oral health problems. For the purpose of this paper the primary focus is going to be on arthritis to be more concise Rheumatoid Arthritis. Topics to be covered include a brief summary of chronic illness with a concise account of what Rheumatoid Arthritis is and its treatments …show more content…
The term chronic is often used if the condition lasts longer than 3 months. Chronic conditions have often been used to describe the various health related states of the human body such as syndromes, physical impairments, disabilities as well as diseases. A type of chronic illness is rheumatoid arthritis.
“Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common autoimmune inflammatory arthritis in adults. The prevalence is 1% to 2% of the adult population. It affects approximately 1.3 million people in the United States. The usual age that RA is diagnosed is between 30 and 50 years old.” (Turan, 2017) Rheumatoid arthritis can cause many complications such as impairments, disabilities and can affect your overall life.
Disability
A disability that rheumatoid arthritis causes is work disability. ”Work disability is one of the major economic consequences for patients with rheumatic diseases, especially RA patients.” (Meunier, 2016) “Rheumatoid arthritis attacks the linings of the joints, resulting in joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and destruction.” (Turan, 2017) Depending on the field of work an individual is in, the ability to be active is imperative. Many studies have documented work disability and have shown that RA is associated with absenteeism, job loss or decreased work productivity. Without the ability of being active due to Rheumatoid arthritis, it is more difficult …show more content…
Self-stigmas also known as internalized stigma are defined as the awareness, legitimization, and societal stereotypes of the particular stigmatized to the self, and may result in decreased self-esteem and self-efficacy. Public stigmas refer to the attitudes and behavior of other people towards those with a stigmatized diagnosis or identity. One study has found evidence of perceived stigma in people with a diagnosis of RA. The study used to focus on impairments with patients was ISMI which stands for (Internalized Sigma of Mental illness scale). The study conducted consisted of a series of questions asked and you either agreed or disagreed. Some of the questions asked included “can people with RA live a good, rewarding life, should people with RA not get married, does an individual feel comfortable being seen in public who obviously has RA.” (Corker, 2016) In terms of public stigma, some long term health diagnosis is linked to a stigmatized identity and can cause discrimination in many areas of life, such as healthcare, employment, education and personal relationships. These stigmas caused by rheumatoid arthritis have been described as more difficult to deal with than the illness