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What Are Skin Side Effects, Contraindications And Treatments For Someone With Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Question: What are skin side effects, contraindications and treatments for all for someone with Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Hi there.
Thanks for the query.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disorder which affects many organs in the body. Most common are the pain and stiffness of small joints of hands, the joints of neck, spine, pelvis.
Skin side effects include dry skin, brittle nails, redness of palms, presence of nodular swellings, frequent skin infections, skin ulcers, gangrene, Raynaud's syndrome.
These patients should avoid stress, exposure to cold or operating fast machinery as this can trigger Raynaud's syndrome of skin and can cause gangrene. They should consume balanced diet and drink plenty of water. Kidney function needs to be assessed as well.
Treatment is mainly centered on DMARDs or Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs like Methotrexate, Cyclophosphamide, Infliximad, Adalimumab etc. NSAID pain killers are also used like Ibuprofen, Diclofenac to relieve joint pain and stiffness. Sometimes steroids may also be used to help in severe inflammatory processes of spine, joints.
Kindly get the patient examined by a leading Rheumatologist for best management.
I hope I have answered your query. I will be available to answer your follow up queries.
Wishing good health.
Regards,
Thanks for the query.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disorder which affects many organs in the body. Most common are the pain and stiffness of small joints of hands, the joints of neck, spine, pelvis.
Skin side effects include dry skin, brittle nails, redness of palms, presence of nodular swellings, frequent skin infections, skin ulcers, gangrene, Raynaud's syndrome.
These patients should avoid stress, exposure to cold or operating fast machinery as this can trigger Raynaud's syndrome of skin and can cause gangrene. They should consume balanced diet and drink plenty of water. Kidney function needs to be assessed as well.
Treatment is mainly centered on DMARDs or Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs like Methotrexate, Cyclophosphamide, Infliximad, Adalimumab etc. NSAID pain killers are also used like Ibuprofen, Diclofenac to relieve joint pain and stiffness. Sometimes steroids may also be used to help in severe inflammatory processes of spine, joints.
Kindly get the patient examined by a leading Rheumatologist for best management.
I hope I have answered your query. I will be available to answer your follow up queries.
Wishing good health.
Regards,
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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