Rheumatoid arthritis can trigger other health issues but those who suffer from the condition may not be fully aware of the other dangers they are in. Rheumatoid arthritis’s inflammation characteristics and the treatments used to treat RA may bring about other medical conditions that can put your health in jeopardy.
Here is a list of 10 other health issues that can be prompted by rheumatoid arthritis:
Anemia – a lack of red blood cells need to carry oxygen through the body.
Bone Thinning – with the thinning of the bones, osteoporosis introduces the risk of breaking bones.
Depression – for those with RA, depression is a common side effect due to the loss of functionality and decreased independence.
Gastrointestinal Bleeding – bleeding in the digestive tract is common with RA as are ulcers often due to the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications.
Heart Disease/Stroke – RA can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke by double.
Infections – RA medications can suppress the immune system, causing an increased risk of infections.
Lung Problems – people with RA have been shown to develop lung disease and scaring of the lungs more frequently than the general population.
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma – a blood cancer linked to RA where patients have up to four times a higher risk of developing the disease.
Sjogren’s Syndrome – an autoimmune disease which affects the salivary glands and tear ducts causing dry mouth and dry eyes.
Vasculitis – the inflammation of the blood vessels complicated by RA.
Rheumatoid arthritis can cause the above-mention health conditions as well as other health complications that can make it difficult to move around let alone work and live a normal life. Proper medical intervention is necessary to treat RA and the host of side effects and related medical conditions. Many of the related conditions can be prevented or at least treated medically to help deal with the associated fatigue and chronic pain.