Can people with rheumatoid arthritis donate blood?

Written by Li Jing
Rheumatology
Updated on September 12, 2024
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Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by symmetrical polyarthritis. It belongs to auto-immune diseases and is not an infectious disease; the cause of which is currently unclear. There is also considerable individual variation in its clinical manifestations. Because it is an autoimmune disease, it cannot be cured. This relates to whether or not one can donate blood: firstly, blood donors must not have any infectious diseases. Secondly, since this disease cannot be cured and patients often need to take regular doses of medications such as methotrexate, leflunomide, and sulfasalazine, there will be a certain concentration of these drugs in the body. If the condition allows and there are no infectious diseases, blood donation may be appropriately considered.

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Written by Yang Ya Meng
Rheumatology
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Can people with rheumatoid arthritis drink alcohol?

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis should avoid drinking alcohol. Due to joint pain, patients with rheumatoid arthritis inevitably consume anti-inflammatory pain relievers or steroids for pain relief. These anti-inflammatory drugs are already harsh on the stomach, and alcohol is similarly harmful. Consuming both anti-inflammatory pain relievers and alcohol can easily lead to gastrointestinal bleeding. Some patients may even develop complications such as gastric ulcers or severe gastrointestinal bleeding. Therefore, it is not recommended for patients with rheumatoid arthritis to drink alcohol. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Yang Ya Meng
Rheumatology
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Can people with rheumatoid arthritis drink alcohol?

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis can drink a small amount of alcohol, but long-term heavy drinking is not recommended. This is mainly because patients with rheumatoid arthritis need to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain relief due to joint pain. The most significant side effect of these painkillers is their impact on the gastrointestinal tract. As alcohol is known to be harsh on the stomach, patients who take NSAIDs while drinking alcohol are at a higher risk of developing complications such as gastrointestinal bleeding. Therefore, it is advised that patients with rheumatoid arthritis should not engage in long-term heavy drinking. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Yang Ya Meng
Rheumatology
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The difference between rheumatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatic arthritis is a reactive joint pain that occurs after a streptococcal infection. In addition to joint pain, common symptoms include mitral valve stenosis in some patients, skin erythema, and some patients may also exhibit symptoms such as chorea. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis often show symmetrical swelling and pain in the joints of both hands. Blood tests reveal significantly elevated levels of rheumatoid factor, anti-CCP antibodies, and AK antibodies. Inflammatory indicators such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein also tend to be significantly elevated. The main difference between rheumatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis is that rheumatic arthritis can involve cardiac and skin pathologies, while rheumatoid arthritis primarily manifests as joint-related pathologies.

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Written by Liu Li Ning
Rheumatology
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What should I do if rheumatoid arthritis deforms the knee joint?

Rheumatoid arthritis and knee joint deformity are serious conditions that may require joint replacement surgery. For less serious cases, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as etoricoxib or celecoxib, are generally used to treat and alleviate symptoms. The onset of rheumatoid arthritis is associated with streptococcal infections. Clinically, joint deformities are rare, so if joint deformity occurs, it is important to investigate the possibility of rheumatoid arthritis. Since rheumatoid arthritis is an immune-mediated erosive arthritis that can lead to bone destruction and joint deformity, rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP antibodies can be tested for diagnostic differentiation.

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Written by Li Jing
Rheumatology
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Differential diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is mostly related to streptococcal infections and needs to be differentiated from internal rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and other joint pains caused by autoimmune diseases. The main characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis is symmetrical pain in the joints of both hands, usually affecting multiple joints and accompanied by morning stiffness, and even systemic symptoms such as mild fever. The main features of ankylosing spondylitis are stiffness in the neck or pain in the lower back, with pain worsening after rest and alleviating after activity. Diagnosis requires a combination of CT of the sacroiliac joints and tests such as HLA-B27. Joint pain caused by other autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, often presents clinically with facial rashes, accompanied by hair loss, recurrent oral ulcers, and even Raynaud's phenomenon and mild fever. Diagnosis requires comprehensive tests including complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, autoimmune antibodies, abnormal immunoglobulins, etc., based on the corresponding clinical manifestations and tests, to provide differential diagnosis.