RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AFFECTING THE BODY: SPINAL CORD, BLOOD AND MORE

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What happens to the spinal cord in the neck in RA?

This is one of our biggest worries. When the cervical, or the neck, bones have arthritis and inflammation, there is the risk of the spine becoming unstable. A simple X-ray will confirm whether the spine is at risk for damage. Damage to the neck spine results in weakness of the extremities, or even paralysis. Destruction of the spine nerves bears no relation to the amount of pain felt by the patient, so damage can ensue without any warning. Suddenly, subtle signs and symptoms of damage, including weakness or loss of feeling in the arms or legs, just appear.

What is amyloidosis?

Amyloid is a form of protein with a small bit of sugar attached. This material deposits in organs and tissues in people with chronic disease, particularly rheumatoid arthritis, causing problems. It can infiltrate organs, resulting in dysfunction.

What does RA do to my blood?

Patients with RA have anemia, or low red-blood-cell count. This is not due to blood loss, but rather because the bone marrow, where red blood cells are produced, is affected by the disease, and thus the cells are not made efficiently. This is called anemia of chronic disease. There is no amount of vitamin or iron that will successfully raise the blood count to normal in a rheumatoid patient.

What is Felty’s syndrome?

This is a serious and little understood disorder that can occur as a result of RA. Patients with severe nodule-forming RA generally get this syndrome. The white cell count drops, the spleen enlarges, and some patients get leg ulcers. Sometimes lymph nodes enlarge, and the patient’s platelet count drops precipitously. Fortunately, aggressive therapy with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) often causes complete resolution of this syndrome.

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RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AFFECTING THE BODY: SPINAL CORD, BLOOD AND MOREWhat happens to the spinal cord in the neck in RA?This is one of our biggest worries. When the cervical, or the neck, bones have arthritis and inflammation, there is the risk of the spine becoming unstable. A simple X-ray will confirm whether the spine is at risk for damage. Damage to the neck spine results in weakness of the extremities, or even paralysis. Destruction of the spine nerves bears no relation to the amount of pain felt by the patient, so damage can ensue without any warning. Suddenly, subtle signs and symptoms of damage, including weakness or loss of feeling in the arms or legs, just appear.
What is amyloidosis?Amyloid is a form of protein with a small bit of sugar attached. This material deposits in organs and tissues in people with chronic disease, particularly rheumatoid arthritis, causing problems. It can infiltrate organs, resulting in dysfunction.
What does RA do to my blood?Patients with RA have anemia, or low red-blood-cell count. This is not due to blood loss, but rather because the bone marrow, where red blood cells are produced, is affected by the disease, and thus the cells are not made efficiently. This is called anemia of chronic disease. There is no amount of vitamin or iron that will successfully raise the blood count to normal in a rheumatoid patient.
What is Felty’s syndrome?This is a serious and little understood disorder that can occur as a result of RA. Patients with severe nodule-forming RA generally get this syndrome. The white cell count drops, the spleen enlarges, and some patients get leg ulcers. Sometimes lymph nodes enlarge, and the patient’s platelet count drops precipitously. Fortunately, aggressive therapy with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) often causes complete resolution of this syndrome.*16/141/5*