Rheumatoid arthritis is certainly the most dangerous and severe form of arthritis. It is known to attack both joints and some internal organs including eyes, lungs and heart. The signs of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) include painful joint and eyes inflammations.

The most important thing in all RA treatments is detecting this disease as soon as possible. Unlike other forms of arthritis, RA does most of the damage during first twenty-four months. As there is no cure to this disease, the best thing we can hope for is to stop its progress as soon as possible or at least alleviate the pain and minimize the secondary damage.

Usually the "first line" drugs in the fight against RA are Non-Steroid Anti-Inflammatory Drugs. Many of them can be bought without prescription, though the strongest ones must be prescribed by your doctor. Another important "first line" defense is a proper diet, rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. They reduce the problems related to decreased joint mobility as well as reduce the inflammations. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish oil, but unless you switch to some fish-rich diet permanently, food supplements such as Omega Daily are much better solution.

Another category of anti-RA drugs are BRM (biologic response modifiers). They are extremely effective and try to alleviate the symptoms of the RA by affecting its source - the organism's response. The only problem is that in many cases they are far too expensive - to the point where most health insurance policies do not cover such treatments.

There is also a cheaper alternative to BRM, commonly used to combat rheumatoid arthritis: Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (example: Methotrexate). Their main goal is to reduce the damage done to joints by the disease. Needless to say, they are prescription-only drugs.

There are also a few other things you should do to minimize the effects of RA. First of all, do some exercises, preferably swimming. This will strengthen the muscles around the joints, reducing the stress put on them during their movement. This means that joints will deteriorate much slower and the problems with their flexibility will not show up anytime soon. However, remember about talking to your doctor before you start any training program - he will tell you what exercises will be the best for you. Another thing you may want to try is using cold ice packs on inflamed joints to reduce pain and swelling.

Only in the United States there are more than two million people affected by this disease. While it affect women more often than men and the susceptibility to RA is thought to be hereditary, don't discard it even if you're a male with no RA history in your family. It can happen to anyone, anytime - if you suspect you have RA, contact your doctor ASAP. Every week matters, so don't delay your visit!