Staying on top of yourrheumatoid arthritis (RA)treatment might seem like an inconvenience at times, but it’s worth it — in fact, the alternative can put your quality of life at risk.
Without proper treatment, RA can cause long-term damage to joints and serious damage to your whole body, along with persistent pain and disability, saysDavid Pisetsky, MD, PhD, arheumatologistand professor of medicine and immunology at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina. Without proper treatment, over time, your joints may become deformed and lose some of their function.
但在翻盖方面，正确的治疗可以很长，以防止长期损坏和保持关节功能。“随着目前的治疗方案，大多数人可以妥善控制症状并减少RA进展，”Pisetsky博士说。“许多人甚至可以体验缓解。”
Short-Term Complications of Untreated RA
If left untreated, RA can cause a number of short-term complications, particularlyjoint pain, Pisetsky says. And because RA affects the entire body, without treatment you may also experience general malaise, fever, and fatigue.
Untreated RA can also increase the risk for infection, Pisetsky says. RA is an inflammatory type of autoimmune disease — meaning when you have RA, the immune system concentrates on attacking your joints and other tissues instead of protecting you from illness. The more severe your RA, the greater the risk for infection, according to the Arthritis Foundation (AF).
When RA Goes Untreated: Long-Term Health Issues
If RA is left untreated in the long-term, it can affect not just quality of life but the duration of it, too. “Persistent inflammation can lead to a shorter lifespan,” Pisetsky explains.
Uncontrolled RA can also increase your risk for heart disease, because RA-related inflammation not only affects the joints, but also the heart. This inflammation can also contribute to narrowing of your blood vessels, according to the AF, allowing plaque to build up.
People who have RAhave as much as twice the risk of heart disease as the general population,according to the AF. According to study published in April 2018 inBMC Rheumatology, due to the link between RA and heart problems, it's important to manage not just RA butheart disease risk factorssuch as high blood pressure,high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, and being sedentary.
And the more advanced your RA, the greater your risk for heart damage, the American College of Rheumatology notes.
However, untreated RA can affect more than just your joints and your heart, leading to complications ranging from skin issues, to bone thinning, to eye complications, and beyond.
That said, following a regular treatment plan that helps slow the progression of your RA can help protect your joints, your heart, your overall health and well-being —andyour life.
