Self Care: Managing Rheumatoid Arthritis

The more you know about rheumatoid arthritis, the better equipped you'll be to manage your condition -- whether it's dealing with doctors, nurses, and health insurance reps or coping with the highs and lows of remissions and flare-ups.

Learning the language of rheumatoid arthritis, for example, can help you communicate with your doctors, understand test results, discuss treatment options, and be an active member of your healthcare team. So if you don't understand what your doctors or nurses are telling you, ask them to explain it in everyday language and to write down technical terms so that you can become more familiar with them. And keep in mind that amid all the white coats and specialists, you too are an expert -- on you. You know better than anyone else how you feel and what feels normal or different, better or worse.

Taking care of yourself -- physically and emotionally -- is also a vital part of successfully managing rheumatoid arthritis, and there are many things you can do as part of self-care:

• Eat healthfully.
• Stay as physically active as possible.
• Get plenty of rest and relaxation.
• Be kind to yourself, and celebrate your triumphs, both big and small.
• Protect your joints.
• Try to quit, if you smoke.
• Maintain your social network of friends and family.
• Ask for support when you need it, and consider joining a support group of other people living with rheumatoid arthritis.

Tip: Make a list of the drugs you're taking (both their generic and brand names), the doses, and the purpose of each medication. Carry the list in your wallet or purse in case you're caught out of town with a short supply or are hospitalized unexpectedly.