The High Price of Living With Chronic Pain marieclaire.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from marieclaire.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
4 Women Get Real About Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Their struggles, their successes, and how this invisible inflammatory disease has changed them.
By Michelle Crouch spukkatoGetty Images
Your immune system is supposed to protect your body, but if you have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), it mistakenly attacks healthy joints, tissues, and organs including the eyes and lungs. As a result, the chronic autoimmune disorder causes pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function in the joints. It can also cause other symptoms including fatigue, appetite loss, and dry eyes.
RA affects 1.5 million Americans, and there is no cure. But it can be managed with medications and lifestyle modifications. Here, three women talk about how they were diagnosed, how they cope, and what they’ve learned from living with RA.
4 Women Get Real About Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.