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Rheumatoid arthritis can affect the lungs, causing inflammation, fluid accumulation, nodule formation, scarring, and high blood pressure. Symptoms may include chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness, and collapsed lung. Treatment may focus on the lungs or the underlying disease causing the problems.
Rheumatoid arthritis of the lung is a complication experienced by approximately 25% of all rheumatoid arthritis sufferers, an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks joints and tissues. When rheumatoid arthritis spreads to lung tissue, it can lead to inflammation, fluid accumulation, nodule formation, scarring, and high blood pressure. Some rheumatoid arthritis sufferers of the lung may experience a range of symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness or even collapsed lung, while others may have no symptoms. Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis-derived lung problems can focus on the lungs themselves or it can be directed at the underlying disease causing those problems.
There are several ways rheumatoid arthritis of the lung can manifest itself. It can cause inflammation of the lung tissue, a condition commonly known as pleurisy. Often, this pleurisy is accompanied by pleural effusion or the accumulation of fluid within the tissue of the lungs. In some cases, scarring and small growths known as nodules may form on the lungs. Also, blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs can rise abnormally, a condition known as pulmonary hypertension.
The number and severity of rheumatoid arthritis symptoms of the lung can vary widely from person to person. Sufferers may experience difficulty breathing, chest pain, cough, weakness, fatigue, and fever. Those with developing nodules may experience lung collapse. In some cases, these symptoms may be the first indication that an individual has rheumatoid arthritis. Conversely, some cases of rheumatoid arthritis of the lung have no symptoms, and as a result, an individual may not be aware that their rheumatoid arthritis has started affecting their lungs or even that they have the disease.
Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis of the lung can be direct or indirect, depending on how the condition has manifested itself. For example, individuals with fluid buildup in the lungs may undergo a procedure to drain that fluid. Often, however, treatment for rheumatoid arthritis-derived lung problems is directed at the underlying disease causing the problems. While there is no known cure for rheumatoid arthritis, there are a number of medications that can be used to control the disease. The most common of these are anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids, which are helpful in managing joint swelling, and immunosuppressants, which dampen the immune system from attacking the joints and tissues.
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