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Most of us know that smoking causes both lung cancer and a variety of cardiovascular diseases.   In addition to these life threatening diseases, smoking has been proven to be a risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis.  There have been many clinical studies to establish the connection between this chronic autoimmune disorder and smoking.

It is not known why smoking increases the risk of rheumatoid arthritis or why smoking effects treatments prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Rheumatoid Factor in Smokers

The Journal of Rheumatology published a report in its March, 2000 issue regarding the effect of smoking in rheumatoid arthritis patients.  The effects of smoking were studied on the clinical, radiographic and laboratory fronts in the patients.

The effects of smoking can be objectively studied provided the rheumatoid factor in these patients was studied separately.  The rheumatoid factor would definitely have to be more in smokers and less in non-smokers to prove that smoking is a major risk factor of rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives of studies linking smoking and patients with rheumatoid factor

~ To determine elevated rheumatoid factor levels in smokers
~ And to determine the quantitative effect of smoking

A study was made up of 640 rheumatoid arthritis patients that were both male and female.  Half of these patients were current or past smokers.

The study found that rheumatoid arthritis patients that were smokers and even those that had smoked in the past had a higher rheumatoid factor than did non-smokers.

Also, the rheumatoid factor was found to be higher the longer the patients had smoked.

These elevated rheumatoid factor levels were increasing or elevated irrespective of the gender.

Thus, smoking definitely proves to have a negative impact on rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Studies prove that cigarette smoking both increases the severity of rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and decreases the effectiveness of fibromyalgia treatment

Empower yourself by selecting the right doctor for you

When it comes to Fibromyalgia treatment, it is smart to educate yourself as much as you can about not only fibromyalgia, but the way that different doctors work with their patients.

All too often, people simply rely on their doc to just “make them well.”  Sometimes, that just does not work in your best interest.  Educating yourself about your fibromyalgia empowers you.  And the best way to empower yourself in a way that can facilitate improvements with your fibromyalgia symptoms is to select the right doctor for you.

It is important to receive treatment for your fibromyalgia from a clinician who is going to spend an adequate amount of time with you on each visit to his or her office.

You have not really gained much if you see a fibromyalgia “specialist” who has a waiting room full of people and only has a few minutes to spend with you.  You will be better off to see a physician who gives more time with each of his or her patients.

The fibromyalgia “specialist” may very well be a bit more versed about fibromyalgia but if you don’t get much time with that doctor, how effective can his or her fibromyalgia treatment really be?

It can be really frustrating if you do not have an adequate amount of time with your doctor to ask questions and tell him what is going on with your personal symptoms from fibromyalgia.

A big part of selecting the right doctor to help you with your fibromyalgia treatment is to find one that you can communicate well with.  You do not want to go home frustrated with almost as many questions concerning your health after the office visit as you had when you got there.

You need a doctor to work with you through your fibromyalgia treatment who will take the time to listen to you… one that will listen to all of your questions… one who will address all of your concerns about your fibromyalgia treatment.