Overlapping Condition of the Week: Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the more serious conditions that overlap with fibromyalgia (FMS). It's a degenerative autoimmune disease that can deform your joints or, in severe cases, attack your organs. Of course, it also causes a lot of pain, which is amplified by the fibromite brain. Like FMS, RA symptoms can come and go.
So far, researchers don't believe that having FMS makes you more prone to RA - instead, they believe that RA makes you prone to FMS. Those of us with FMS appear to have the same risk of RA as anyone else, with one key problem being that we could be less likely to catch it early because we're accustomed to being in pain and our doctors are accustomed to hearing us talk about it. The more familiar you are with symptoms of RA, the more likely you are to catch it, and early treatment can make a big difference! Symptoms that should raise a red flag include:
- Joint swelling, with warmth around the joint
- Loss of appetite
- Limited range of motion
- Joint deformities
Learn more about RA, its symptoms, how it's diagnosed, treatment and management options and more:
Other Overlapping Conditions:
- Interstitial Cystitis (Bladder Pain)
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Costochondritis
- Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Photo © Jim Wehtje/Getty Images
