Rheumatoid arthritis is synonymous with joint inflammation and stiffness, but those with the disease have reported other changes.
Lyydia Pearl, who spotted her first symptoms at 27, has spoken out about her experience on TikTok to raise awareness of the condition's unexpected signs.
She labelled the video “Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis that don’t get talked about enough”, highlighting issues such as nerve pain and tingling, hoarseness and vocal cord problems, jaw pain, eye issues, rib and chest pain, brain fog, itchy skin, nodules, and rashes.
“My symptoms started years ago but I didn’t piece them together, I had no idea that it could even be arthritis,” added Lyydia.
The relationship between diet and arthritis remains unclearGETTYThe Arthritis Foundation notes that hoarseness in patients with rheumatoid arthritis can be related to inflammation of the cricoarytenoid joins, which sit adjacent to the vocal cords.
This could manifest as a raspy voice, a feeling of a lump in the throat, or even breathing difficulties in some cases.
While rheumatoid arthritis is not directly responsible for hair thinning, the stress and systemic inflammation it induces can contribute to the problem.
In patients with the condition, the immune system may start to attack tissues in the skin where the hair follicles are located.
Medical sources state that hair loss sometimes occurs due to the medication taken to treat arthritis.
What is the difference between rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis?
According to the NHS, rheumatoid is an autoimmune disease when the body's immune system attacks the joints, inflicting inflammation and pain.
The condition signals that the body is launching an attack on itself - a process which unfortunately has no cure.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Early detection of rheumatoid arthritis can improve quality of life
TIKTOK
Early detection of rheumatoid arthritis can help, however, as it will significantly prevent joint damage.
The NHS notes: “Diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis quickly is important because early treatment can prevent it from getting worse and reduce the risk of joint damage.”
Osteoarthritis, on the other hand, is a degenerative joint condition caused by wear and tear on the cartilage lining of the joints.
The latter typically affects isolated joints rather than several joints on both sides of the body, like rheumatoid arthritis does.
