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All About Arthritis & Breast Cancer

All About Arthritis & Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer

An Overview of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the uncontrollable growth of cells in the breasts of a woman. It is usually recognized only after performing X-rays. A lump is created in the breast cells and gives rise to various complications in women. Breast cancer can originate from different parts of the breast; however, the most common part is the duct.

According to medical statistics, breast cancer among women is rapidly increasing. It should be noted that breast cancers form lumps, which are supposedly in the 3rd or the 4th stage, as well as other cancers which are detected in the initial stage and are curable with proper medical support.

Abnormal growth in breasts is not always cancerous, there are many tumors in the breast that are basically extra lumps created but are not harmful as they do not spread. But lumps in the breast should be diagnosed at an early stage to check whether it is cancer causing a mass or a minor tumor that has a lesser risk of becoming cancer. When cancer cells enter into blood there are chances of spreading breast cancer as the blood carries the cancerous cells into other body parts.

Causes of breast cancer
Medical advancements are still not capable of controlling the abnormal spread of cancer cells. Few causes of breast cancers are listed below:

  • Breast cancer is most occurring among the elder women because the age is an important factor that increases the risk of developing cancerous cells.
  • Childbirth at a later age is another important reason that causes breast cancer. Women who do not conceive even at an early age are also prone to grow cancer.
  • Genes also play an important role in spreading breast cancers.
  • Radiation exposure is another important cause. Women who have undergone chest radiation therapy earlier have the risk of getting breast cancer.
  • As already discussed, cancer cells usually spread to the healthy tissues, so if a woman who had breast cancer earlier sure affects the other tissues too.
  • Liquors are harmful when taken on a daily basis as they increase the risk of developing cancerous cells in the breast.
  • Oral contraceptive pills have proved to be a major cause of breast cancer in women.
  • Excess intake of sugar in food is harmful as it increases weight and an overweight condition after menopause in women has a high risk of breast cancer.

Various symptoms of breast cancer
One of the externally visible symptoms is a lump in the breast that can easily be felt and that should be immediately diagnosed. An abnormal change in shape of the nipple and unwanted itchy rashes around the nipple is also an essential symptom of breast cancer.

Treatments for breast cancer

There are various breast cancer treatments available depending on the type of cancer. The common treatments usually include Chemotherapy, Hormone therapy, and Targeted therapy. Additionally, surgery can also be performed, which includes the removal of the breast or the lump that has been in the breast.

With the help of radiation therapy, the cancer cells which spread in the whole body are killed. Usually, radiation therapy has no such side effects except an excessive hair loss problem in patients suffering from cancer.

Finally, the modern cosmetic breast surgery therapy helps in keeping the shape of the breast the same like before with no visible changes.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common among the numerous types of arthritis. It is a chronic autoimmune disorder. Apart from mainly affecting the joints, it can also harm the eyes, lungs, heart, blood vessels, nerve tissues, and even the bone marrow.

Rheumatoid arthritis is physically different from osteoarthritis as it causes joint stiffness attacking the synovium and not the wear-and-tear of the bone. This disease leads to certain deformities of the joints, as a result of which, physical disabilities could occur.

Causes of rheumatoid arthritis
The exact causes of rheumatoid arthritis are not distinctively known. Even doctors aren’t quite sure about how someone develops this disease. When the immune system attacks the synovium, it could lead to the development of rheumatoid arthritis. There are several genes which increase the risks of being affected with rheumatoid arthritis. Moreover, there are a number of risk factors which could lead to the onset of rheumatoid arthritis. These risk factors include family history, age, sex, environmental factors, obesity, and the habit of smoking.

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis
The symptoms may be diverse in case of rheumatoid arthritis. In some cases, the patient can experience no symptoms at all during the initial phases of the disease. There are many symptoms one can still develop related to the joints in the case of this disease. These include the following:

  • Swelling:  The joints may swell up by the deposition of fluids, thereby making the joints tender.
  • Pain:  Joint inflammations are drastically painful in an acute condition of rheumatoid arthritis.
  • Stiff joints:  Difficulty to move the joints is common in the case of rheumatoid arthritis. Stiffness may occur in various joints like fingers, elbows, hips, jaws, knees, neck, shoulders, and even the wrists.

Some can experience symptoms that are noticed in different parts of the body; these are also related to rheumatoid arthritis. They are as follows:

  • Muscle ache
  • Depression
  • Loss of appetite
  • Fatigue

Some may also experience visible symptoms related to the skin; in such situations, individuals could notice bumps on the different areas of the skin. Some of the areas where such bumps may arise are as follows:

  • Back of the head
  • Under the forearms
  • Hand tendons
  • Spinal base

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis that are experienced or noticed in the heart and lungs are as follows:

  • Formation of myocarditis
  • Shortness of breath
  • Pain in the chest

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis related to the eye include the following:

  • Dry eyes
  • Cataracts
  • Scleritis

Treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis
There are a diverse number of treatment options available for this disease. In various ways, the patients can be treated by the doctor.

Some of the types of medications prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis include the following:

NSAIDs:  These drugs are anti-inflammatory in nature. They just reduce the pain caused due to inflammation. For reducing inflammation, one may be recommended to take DMARDs.

DMARDs:  DMARDs are helpful because they curb an overactive immune system. This can help the joints from further worsening the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Regular exercise can help a patient manage rheumatoid arthritis in an effective way. It will help a lot in reducing the pain. With effective medication, one can revive their strength as well.

Surgical methods are also available which may be recommended by the doctors in extreme cases. Replacement surgeries are mainly done on the knees and hips as per the treatment prescribed. The mobility can be increased and the individual’s quality of life can be improved to a great extent with this method.

Therapeutic massages are nowadays also becoming applicable to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Physiotherapists can suggest the types of workouts that the patients can do to ease dealing with the pain and inflammation.

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