The Young and the RA

I know my diagnosis story, which I shared with you previously, is very unique. A lot of people are given the run around for quite a while before finally being diagnosed. I talked to one woman who what told by a rheumatologist she was a failure for not responding to any of the medications. Yeah. Not that the medications were a failure, she was. Ridiculous.

I also heard people have been referred to psychologists by doctors who think it is all in their head. Turns out, however that one is not quite so bogus:

“Psychogenic pain is a term that was used to refer to real physical pain that is caused by a psychological problem. It is now known as a pain disorder associated with psychological factors. Some types of mental or emotional problems can cause pain. They can also increase or prolong pain. Headaches, muscle pains, back pain, and stomach pains are some of the most common types of psychogenic pain” (University of Iowa).

Many people feel pain that they have internalized based on a psychological problem. The pain may be real, but there is no physical reason for the pain. If doctors can’t find a solid physical reason behind your pain, they may refer you to a psychologist to see if there are any psychological reasons behind the pain. This does not mean they think you are imagining the pain! It just means that there may be psychological reasons behind it.

Another reason that you may be referred to a psychologist is because seeing one can help a person handle psychical pain, especially when doctors can’t find a cause for it. It can be such a frustrating experience not to have any solid reason for your pain.

Even if you are diagnosed with RA, it can help to see a psychologist to help you cope with the reality of having a chronic illness. It is a scary thing. A lot of people become depressed and have trouble dealing with the realities of being diagnosed with RA. It can be even worse if the medications don’t work for you. I highly recommend talking to a therapist. I’ve seen one, and she helped me a lot. It gives you someone to talk to that can help you put everything in perspective. So look into it if you are having trouble and need an understand ear.

Until next time,

S.P. 

So, I was watching one of my favorite shows, House, tonight night and one of the doctors made an interesting comment about autoimmune diseases responding well to cold weather (aka cold weather helps you get better). Interesting, I said. And having an autoimmune disease myself, I had to investigate. (Because, of course, everything on House is always true…) So here is what I learned:

Cold weather does not cause rheumatoid arthritis:

“According to scientific evidence now available, rheumatoid arthritis is NOT CAUSED by: cold, dampness or changes in weather; lack or excesses of vitamins or any other dietary elements such as fats, sugars, acids or metals; faulty absorption or elimination of substances from the bowel; infection in the internal organs of the body” (National Arthritis Foundation). 

ALSO:

“Although some evidence exists that people living in warmer, drier climates experience fewer episodes of arthritis pain, climate does not affect the course of the disease. At most, it may affect symptoms of arthritis pain” (Medical News Today).

That means you will have RA no matter where you live. Yep. No getting around it.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find anything to directly support the comments made in my favorite show. I was a little disappointed that they choose to use a fact that supported the plot more than facts, but maybe they know something I don’t. Have you heard of anything that supports Dr. House’s claims? I’d love to have my faith restored in House.

I do know that a cold compresses can be very useful to numb joint pain in RA:

“Self-help measures include fifteen to twenty minute periods of heat, cold, or the alternation of these. The heat reduces pain and loosens joints, while the cold can relieve pain and reduce swelling” (Conscious Choice).

But this information isn’t exactly supportive of all autoimmune diseases since most don’t deal with joint pain

But people still do have complaints about flare-ups during cold weather. So what is up with that? It may have more to do with your muscles contracting in the cold than your joints themselves. Overall, there is no support that cold or warm weather affects your RA either way.

I have heard a lot of people complain about dealing with wet weather. This can be humidity or the damp cold, but people such as Christine Miller find that they are a lot worse during the humid days of summer. Still, research hasn’t been able to determine whether this is related to the dampness of the air or the barometer pressure or a combination of both.

Even so, the idea that dry weather can help keep RA flare-ups at bay just gives us all one more reason to move to California, right?

Until next time,

S.P. 

We all eat. It’s how we survive, right? Well, what effects do our diets have on our RA? There has been research about the benefits of a vegetarian diet:

“Fats from animal foods enhance the production of certain chemicals in the body that produce inflammation, and several studies have shown that people with RA improve on a vegetarian diet” (Bastyr Center for Natural Health).   

Now, I have been a vegetarian since I was in the second grade. I didn’t become one because of animal rights. I didn’t become one because anyone in my family was. And I definitely didn’t become one because it was cool. Why did I become a vegetarian? I did it to spite my father, I guess. (It’s a very long story, if you are interested in hearing it message me, and I’d love to tell you the whole thing.)

Anyways, long story short, I haven’t eaten meat in close to 15 years now (well, at least knowingly), and now I find the idea of eating it repulsive. (Not that I mind others eating meat. Hey, all my brother eats is steak and pizza, and my boyfriend’s a hunter!)  

Well, despite my diet, I got RA, so obviously having a vegetarian diet isn’t any sort of preventative measure, but my diet may be helping keep my RA under control.  My diet does have one draw back however: I don’t eat fish. Fish is a great source of omega-3, which has been seen to help RA (see my earlier post about omega-3).  So, a Mediterranean diet might be a better recommendation for those with RA:

“A 2003 study reported that RA patients who followed it experienced reduced inflammatory activity, improved physical function and improved vitality compared to those on a standard Western diet. The Mediterranean diet is also rich in heart-healthy fiber and nutrients, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants” (My RACentral.com).  

So what else should you change in your diet? Research has shown that dairy can also aggravate RA (British Medical Journal). So stay away from the milk and cheese as much as possible!  

I know that making such big changes in your diet can be hard. I didn’t even become a vegetarian over night. I took months to give up bacon and Canadian bacon on my pizza! But I was willing to suck it up to show my dad that I was a “real” vegetarian. (Yeah, dumb reason, I know. But I was nine. What do you expect?)

The point is, isn’t it worth it to give up eating steak, hamburgers and cheese every day (you can still have them on occasion!) to get rid of joint pain? I think it is. I’ve already reduced the amount of cheese I eat, which was pretty hard since I am addicted to the stuff. So just try it out. You might be surprised at how good you feel.

Until next time,

S.P.