Facing a major health problem is not easy. I know, I face one every day. Not only that…deciding on the most prudent traditional and alternative medicine treatments can be very confusing.
As you read, you will have the opportunity to look at your traditional and alternative medicine options. For now, allow me to give you a general overview of why drugs are considered. In the future we’ll have a look at the pros and cons of the drugs used for rheumatoid arthritis.
When drugs are used to treat people with rheumatoid arthritis, we have two goals. Our first goal is to reduce the pain and swelling in your joints. Once we get the swelling in your joints under control, you will experience less pain. Our second goal is to slow or stop your joint damage.
In the past, many doctors thought drugs for rheumatoid arthritis could only treat your pain. So, doctors usually prescribed pain-killing drugs with the fewest side effects. Stronger drugs were avoided because doctors were concerned about the dangerous side effects you may experience.
This is still a concern but today, we know that treating your rheumatoid arthritis early may improve your long-term results, and… combining drugs may work better and may be as safe as taking just one drug.
There are two groups of drugs that we use today to treat rheumatoid
arthritis: drugs that reduce pain and swelling, like aspirin; and drugs that
reduce pain and swelling while also slowing down the growth of abnormal tissue
lining the insides of your joints.
There are also newer drugs available that help fight some of the causes of
swelling. These drugs work a little better than some of the older drugs and you
can also combine them with other drugs.
Depending on what drugs your doctor wants you to take for rheumatoid arthritis; you may experience some side effects. The side effects vary greatly depending on what drugs your doctor prescribes for you. You can go online and check the drugs and their possible side effects. But…make sure your doctor goes over all of the benefits and side effects of any drug he or she prescribes, before you take it. If you don’t get the answers you want, check with your pharmacist. These health professionals are the ones who really know the pros and cons of each drug.
Steps to Improve Your Health
Dr. Steven Dell
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