Rheumatoid arthritis and hair loss If you have RA, your immune system may start to attack tissues in your skin, where your hair follicles are located. This can cause some of your hair to fall out. RA flare-ups may also trigger hair loss. On the whole, hair loss in RA is rare.
People with autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and lupus, can experience hair loss as a troubling symptom of their disease. Other times though, the cause of the shedding locks could be the medications used to treat the disease.
People taking methotrexate or leflunomide may benefit from taking folic acid and biotin supplements. These B vitamins can help protect against hair loss. Folic acid can also help relieve some of the other side effects that can occur with methotrexate.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory condition that occurs when the immune system attacks the body's own healthy tissues and causes joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. In addition to these more common symptoms, some people with RA also experience scalp problems, including scalp itching, burning, or hair loss.
Hair loss among arthritis sufferers can often be due to the auto-immune response which not only causes the body to attack its own joint tissue, but to also attack hair follicles. It could also be a side-effect of the prescription medicine used to treat the condition.
Hair loss can be caused by autoimmune inflammation in some cases, but there are many other potential causes that a rheumatologist must explore to treat the condition effectively.
Treatment options for alopecia areata include: Corticosteroids: anti-inflammatory drugs that are prescribed for autoimmune diseases. Corticosteroids can be given as an injection into the scalp or other areas, orally (as a pill), or applied topically (rubbed into the skin) as an ointment, cream, or foam.
“Many people with RA experience swelling, changes in the shape of their hands and feet, weight gain or loss, and difficulty walking. These body changes can affect how a person views herself and her body,” says Helen L.
Unlike a normal headache, a neck arthritis headache typically begins with pain in your neck. From there, the pain will move up the back of your head until it reaches the top. In addition, the pain will usually be worse on one side of your head, and you won't have pain in your temple region.
RA mainly attacks the joints, usually many joints at once. RA commonly affects joints in the hands, wrists, and knees. In a joint with RA, the lining of the joint becomes inflamed, causing damage to joint tissue.
Flare Types and Triggers
Overexertion, poor sleep, stress or an infection like the flu can all set off RA symptoms. With a predictable flare you'll temporarily feel worse, but your symptoms will resolve in time. Unpredictable flares have more uncertainty associated with them.
Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) If you've been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, you'll usually be offered a combination of DMARD tablets as part of your initial treatment. These medicines ease the symptoms of the condition and slow down its progression.
Alopecia Areata and Your Diet
“Alopecia areata may be reversed through diet, possibly with antioxidants or an anti-inflammatory diet, probiotics, zinc, biotin and healthy oils,” Kimberly Langdon, MD, an OB/GYN based in Ohio who works at Medzino, tells WebMD Connect to Care.
Signs Your RA Is Progressing
Flares that are intense or last a long time. Diagnosis at a young age, which means the disease has more time to become active in your body. Rheumatoid nodules -- bumps under your skin, often around your elbows. Active inflammation that shows up in tests of joint fluid or blood.
People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may appear to age faster than those who don't have the disease, but in reality, this may just be a reflection of the fact people with RA have shorter life expectancies, according to one study in Arthritis & Rheumatology.
People with rheumatoid arthritis typically have several permanently inflamed joints. The inflammation inside the body can lead to general physical weakness, drowsiness and exhaustion. This feeling of extreme tiredness is also called "fatigue." Some people find this to be the worst symptom of the disease.
In patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), balance can be impaired because of impaired joint proprioception secondary to foot deformities and arthritis seen in lower extremities (LEs), muscle weakness and limitation of joint movements, or central nervous system impairment.
Furthermore, the increased risk of falls and vertigo in patients with RA has been attributed to multijoint damage and systemic manifestations [6]. As many as 52.2% of patients with RA reported falls, and vertigo was associated with a higher risk of recurrent falls (odds ratio = 3.42, p = 0.036) [6].
The difficult nature of rheumatoid arthritis can mean some people develop depression or feelings of stress and anxiety. Sometimes these feelings can be related to poorly controlled pain or fatigue. Living with a long-term condition makes you more likely to have emotions such as frustration, fear, anger and resentment.
Rheumatoid arthritis also causes swelling of the fingers. They may look sausage-shaped. Other symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis of the hand and wrist include: A soft lump over the back of the hand that moves when lifting the fingers up.
Erosions of bone and destruction of cartilage, occur rapidly and may be seen within the first 2 years of the disease, but continue to develop over time (See picture below).
Causes of Alopecia Areata
In alopecia areata, the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles, causing inflammation. Researchers do not fully understand what causes the immune attack on hair follicles, but they believe that both genetic and environmental (non-genetic) factors play a role.
Is alopecia areata curable? It cannot be cured; however, it's possible to regrow hair. For some people, regrowth will happen without any help. Because alopecia areata cannot be cured, people who have regrowth can have more hair loss later.
Some autoimmune disorders can be particularly associated with hair loss such as, alopecia, lupus, Hashimoto's, psoriasis, and Crohn's Disease/ulcerative colitis. Some medications to treat the autoimmune disease can lead to hair loss. It is not entirely clear why some biologics affect hair.