Rheumatoid Arthritis real causes

Are you having Rheumatoid Arthritis? 

You wake up one morning in horrible pain in your hands, knees, shoulders or hips. "It's due to my sleeping position"! that thought comforts. You don't want to focus on it, though it's really hurting. Somehow, you'll brush it off. The following morning, you wake up with pain. Maybe much intense than the day before. Your mind starts recalling all the things you've performed that could have caused strain on that joint. You'll promise yourself to do some stretch ups, cursing yourself for lack of sports.

As days pass by you find yourself in your doctor's office. The pain is inexplicable! You're asked several questions that you obviously don't see how they relate to your pain! You think your doctor doesn't understand you. Him/her on the other hand, assessing your panic, will prescribe you some painkillers. You'll leave with MRI and blood test prescription! 

Your doctor didn't tell you, but he/she knows you're having your first Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms!!

Diagnose of Rheumatoid Arthritis

It might take time and many clinical tests before you're diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).
Your doctors will find the simplest way to inform you, though I find it's the cruelest! You'll be told that your body has decided to attack itself! And it's going to continue till the end of your days on this beautiful planet. There's no explanation to that!

You wonder and you get scared! how can your body attack itself? To help you, your doctor will put you on medication! He'll inform you that, since they can't stop your body from destroying itself, the medicine will slow that process! What do you mean? you might ask him/her.

"You'll have to be on medication for the rest of your life to slow the disease!"

What do I do from here?

Luckily there's Google today, not like when I was diagnosed. Scrolling through the web to find what causes RA? why did you get in the first place? You'll find, from much online information that;
Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disorder where your body attacks itself leading to chronic joint inflammation. As a result, there occurs deformation on the affected joints.

You get curious, you google deformities caused by RA.  Some of the images are shocking. It's hard to believe it, you're still young! Life was just smiling at you some few weeks ago! You've big dreams! perhaps, you'll fall into self-denial, you're not having RA at the end! this can't be your case!!! Worse, you might start hating your body, cursing it every morning as you wake up in pain!

You go for the medication. In the drug store/pharmacy, they'll ask you if your doctor prescribed for you some stomach coating medicine? What for? you may ask! 

They'll be kind in explaining, you're about to seriously harm your small Intestines with the prescription for Rheumatoid Arthritis!

Now what! you not only have a body that's attacking itself, you're also going to contribute to this destruction?

After a week, a month or so, your pain isn't subsiding. You've developed some ailments. Do you feel anxious? Nausea? Depressed? you ain't going to poop? You panic, "has your body accelerated its attack"? But these are the first side effects of your medications!

What I don't appreciate is that doctors are good in prescribing medicine, however, they never inform their patients of the side effects these medications.

If I'd been informed that by taking Rheumatoid Arthritis medication, I was actually targeting to slow my immune system, therefore, making it even weaker to protect me from other infections! I'd have given it a second thought!

My research on Rheumatoid Arthritis

I've spent time on books and online medical blogs and journals! My research so far has helped me understand RA better. Something that's mindblowing. I now cope with it, armed with lots of love for my body. We ignore that our bodies are working around the clock trying hard to protect us!

You'll have to know this; There's no cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis that's out there! All the medications are there to help cope with the disease, to reduce inflammation.

The thing is, how can we cure what we don't even know its cause?

But, as we walk this road together, you'll realise that the key to your healing is in your hands.

Here's what I found about what can cause Rheumatoid Arthritis

1.There's a genetic predisposition, which is my case!

2. There're numbers of several environmental factors.

The genetic factor is believed to play parts at 60%. HLA ( Human Leukocytes Antigen) are cellular proteins that can trigger an immune system response. Each of us has a unique HLA complex. People with HLA-DRB1 genes are likely to developpe RA.
Although Epigenetics have shown that the food we eat and our environment can change our genes transcription/expression.

Here are some environmental factors that may lead to the development of Rheumatoid Arthritis;

Pathogens; Bacteria, Viruses etc..

Small Intestinal Lining

Your Microbiome

Your Food and how it cause Inflammation

Your hormones and Rheumatoid Arthritis

With love, Githu.