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5. Rheumatoid Arthritis Will Eventually Cripple You
If you avoid treatment, RA can cause irreversible damage in your joints, and you may struggle with severe symptoms on a daily basis. On the other hand, there’s a range of targeted medications designed to relieve the inflammation, quiet the autoimmune response, and protect your joints from further damage.
Arthritis is notoriously unpredictable: sometimes you’ll wake up in agony, and other days you may feel like you could run a marathon. However, since RA is a progressive disease, it’s important to stick to your daily medication regimen, no matter how good you feel. If you’re noticing more bad days than normal, don’t ignore it or simply suffer through your symptoms – see your doctor to assess your treatment plan, and decide if it’s time for an adjustment.
When the doctor explained that you had arthritis, you thought you knew what to expect.