Trinity Daugherty

Rheumatoid arthritis causes excruciating symptoms that may limit your mobility, preventing you from enjoying your life. Additionally, it can lead to other diseases such as osteoarthritis and cause damage to other parts of your body. The specialists at the Osteoporosis and Rheumatology Center of Tampa Bay offer effective treatments to prevent the progression of rheumatoid arthritis.

What is rheumatoid arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis refers to a progressive autoimmune disorder that causes swelling, pain, and inflammation in your joints. As this disorder progresses, it can result in joint deformity, loss of function, and irreversible destruction. Rheumatoid arthritis can destroy your joints, lungs, skin, blood vessels, and eyes. This disorder occurs when the immune system turns against your body tissues mistakenly. Rheumatoid arthritis destroys your joint linings, leading to common deformity or bone erosion. The inflammation resulting from rheumatoid arthritis can cause detrimental effects on other parts of your body. Early detection of this disorder prevents permanent deformities, and with proper treatment, you can slow down its progression.

How can you know if you have rheumatoid arthritis?

The signature symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are inflammation and chronic joint pain. RA leads to irreversible destruction of the same type of joint on both limbs. This is how you can distinguish this form of arthritis from other conditions such as osteoarthritis. Your signs and symptoms exacerbate as the disease worsens. Your symptoms may include:

• Joint deformities and loss of joint function
• Loss of appetite
• Excruciating pain in the affected joints
• Unexplained fatigue
• Weakness
• Low-grade fever
• Swollen, warm, and tender joints
• Joint stiffness that worsens after a long period of inactivity or in the morning

Early rheumatoid arthritis affects smaller joints such as your fingers and your toes. As the disease deteriorates, it may spread to your knees, elbows, wrists, shoulders, hips, and ankles. Periods of severe symptoms are medically known as flares, alternating with periods of remission. Over time, your joints may shift out, limiting your walking ability.

What factors increase your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis?

The causative factors of rheumatoid arthritis are unknown, but factors may increase your chances of developing it. They include:

• Your sex. Women are more vulnerable to getting rheumatoid arthritis
• Being overweight
•  Family history of the disease
• Smoking
• Age. Older adults are more likely to develop the disorder

How can you treat arthritis?

Medical experts are yet to discover a cure for rheumatoid arthritis, but several noninvasive and invasive procedures can slow its progression. Your doctor may begin by recommending antirheumatic drugs to prevent complications resulting from the disease. Your treatment depends on the severity of your health condition. Your doctor may recommend may also recommend the following:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to alleviate your pain
• Corticosteroid medications like prednisone to prevent joint damage
• Conventional DMARDS
• Biologic response modifiers
• Therapy
• Surgery

You can also adopt healthy lifestyle habits to supplement your medications. You try exercising regularly, relaxing, and applying cold or heat to reduce the intensity of your symptoms.

For more information about rheumatoid arthritis, call the Osteoporosis Rheumatology Center office or book your spot online.

Chronic sleep deprivation is a slow killer, and you may not see its adverse effects for a while. Having a busy lifestyle contributes to stress and sleep disorders, Here is why your Rockville CPAP specialist recommends seeking immediate medical attention when you have the condition.

Below are six negative impacts associated with chronic sleep deprivation:

1. Coronary disease

People who consistently sleep less or have a poor-quality sleep for one reason stand a high chance of suffering heart ailments like a heart attack or heart failure. You could be living in a noisy neighborhood, working two jobs and barely having sleep time, or suffering from sleep apnea. Whatever the reason, you must solve the sleep deprivation problem before developing coronary problems.

2. Poor balance

Not sleeping enough can affect the balance and coordination of your legs, thus making you prone to slips and falls. People of advanced age are already susceptible to falls, and their bones are more brittle. If you suspect that your elderly loved one is sleep-deprived, have them see a specialist sooner rather than later.

3. Diabetes

When the body is not well-rested, essential functions like insulin regulation do not go as planned. Your immune system continues to suffer due to poor-quality sleep so much that it cannot fend off viruses and bacteria. Diabetes is a likely outcome for a person who does not sleep enough, and this disease can pave the way for other health conditions.

4. Memory impairment

Sleeping well allows the brain to rest and lock in the information you will need later. Failure to sleep well makes it harder to recall critical things as the short and long-term memory is impaired. Students will find it harder to remember concepts they learned in class, affecting their performance. Lack of enough sleep can also impact mundane tasks like driving, which can yield catastrophic results.

5. Adding weight

If you are not getting adequate sleep per night or whatever time slot you have allocated for sleeping, the chances are that you will gain weight. The body reduces leptin and increases ghrelin. Leptin is a hormone produced in fat cells and circulates in the bloodstream. This “starvation hormone” alerts your brain when enough energy is in your fat cells to participate in metabolism. When leptin production goes below your average threshold, your brain assumes you are hungry. Therefore, sleep deprivation can make one eat more and inadvertently gain weight.

6. Skin problems

Research studies derive that people who get inadequate sleep have more skin-related issues than their counterparts who get enough sleep. You will find the former group has more wrinkling, fine lines, and loose skin. Some people turn to cosmetic treatments like Botox injections to eliminate wrinkles and fine lines, but this does not address the root cause. You are better off mastering the art of good sleep.

Sleep deprivation has many adverse impacts, and the symptoms are not usually present right away. It may take a while before you realize how lack of sleep contributes to health problems. If you suffer from sleep apnea or related disorders, seek professional help from certified physicians.

New York City is one of the most exciting places in the world to live. You can find anything, do anything, and be anyone you want to be. Millions of women are in the city, making gynecological services very important. You will find many gynecologists in New York, but many women are not sure when they should see a gynecologist in New York, NY. There are many factors to consider when it comes to seeing a gynecologist. The following are cases when you should see a gynecologist:

• If you are Twenty One

The most important factor is your age. If you are under the age of 21, it is recommended that you see a gynecologist every year. The visit is vital because your body is going through many changes, and it is crucial to have someone who can help guide you through, especially if you experience any issues. A woman over the age of 21 only needs to see a gynecologist every two years unless there are any specific problems.

• If you are Pregnant

If you are pregnant, you should see a gynecologist as soon as possible because you will need to have regular checkups to make sure that you and your baby are healthy. You may need to see a specialist in some cases, depending on your condition. Pregnant women will also need an ob-gyn, or a doctor specializing in pregnancies and births.

• If You Are Sexually Active

The next factor is whether or not you are sexually active. Suppose you do not have a partner and were never exposed to the human papillomavirus (HPV). In that case, it is recommended that you see a gynecologist every year until the age of 21. After that, it would be every three years, and this includes women over the age of 21. If you are sexually active, you should see a gynecologist every year and get tested for HPV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

• If You are Experiencing Symptoms

If you are experiencing any symptoms such as pelvic pain, abnormal bleeding, or discharge, it is crucial to see a gynecologist as soon as possible. It would help if you did so because these symptoms could be signs of a severe underlying problem. It is always better to be safe than sorry. Such symptoms could also be caused by something as simple as an infection, which you can treat with antibiotics.

• If You are Over the Age of 65

If you are over the age of 65, you should see a gynecologist every year because your risk of experiencing certain health problems increases as you get older. It is vital to have a professional assist you in keeping an eye on your health. Women in menopause should also see a gynecologist every year because menopause can impact their overall healh. It is essential to have their symptoms checked and ensure everything is in order.

There are many reasons to see a gynecologist in New York City. No matter your age or situation, it is always a good idea to have a professional who can help guide you through your health. If you have any questions or concerns, be sure to talk to your gynecologist. They will be more than happy to help.

Most dermatologists believe that women in their mid-20s or above are suitable candidates to undergo skin treatments. If you’re still very young, but you’re suffering from acne or sun damage, always consult an experienced reputable dermatologist before undergoing any skin correction treatment, no matter if that treatment is a harmless procedure such as a superficial glycolic peeling session.

The requirements of very young skin are very different. So, never listen to anybody else other than a doctor when it comes to skin treatments. And for those ladies who are in their mid-20s or above, the following skin treatments are the most recommended correction procedures.

Microneedling for Acne and Wrinkles

Microneedling, as you might have guessed, involves micro-needles. Dermats insert many micro-needles in the face of the patient to create small micro-wounds. The purpose is to awaken the collagen to start producing healthy new skin cells to replace the wounded damaged ones.

The Clinicare microneedling procedure is taken a notch higher by using the needles to transfer radio-frequency energy inside the skin. This procedure is known as RF microneedling.

The purpose of both microneedling and RF microneedling is to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, pigmentation, and open pores. It is one of the most effective anti-aging skin treatments that are very safe when done in a controlled environment by doctors.

Chemical Peeling for Acne Marks and Dullness

Glycolic peels, salicylic peels, and other sorts of peels that are usually rich in AHA are used to rejuvenate and heal acne-damaged skin. This procedure is done in three strengths.

1. The lightest is the superficial peel that helps in removing dead skin, trapped oil, blackheads, whiteheads, and acne spots from the epidermis. You can take one sitting every 15 days, or as advised by your doctor.
2. The medium peel goes a little beyond the epidermis. It can heal the skin from within by killing bacteria and removing acne scars.
3. The deep peel is the strongest of the 3. The results are dramatic. The skin takes over a month, even more, to heal and the recovery downtime is high. But, if you have a really badly damaged skin, then this peel can give you back the spotless look you’ve lost to acne.

The bottom line, however, still is to get the treatments done by experienced dermats only. If you’re in Quebec, do reach out to the dermats at skin clinics such as Clinicare for safe skin treatment.