Rheumatoid Arthritis is an immune disease. If the disease can not be treated timely, it will cause many complications on livers, lung, kidney and heart. The treatments are various according to the severity of rheumatoid arthritis. So, how to assess severity of rheumatoid arthritis? There are some suggestions for you.

How to assess severity of rheumatoid arthritis? Rheumatologists classify the functional status of people with rheumatoid arthritis as follows:

Class I: completely able to perform usual activities of daily living. This stage of rheumatoid arthritis can be treated and even cured if you can apply a systemic treatment timely. Usually, we will suggest patients receive the medical treatment, oral medicines, external therapies, diet therapy, herb bath and so on for about 20 days in the hospital and their condition will improve a lot.

Class II: able to perform usual self-care and work activities but limited in activities outside of work (such as playing sports, household chores)

Class III: able to perform usual self-care activities but limited in work and other activities

Class IV: limited in ability to perform usual self-care, work, and other activities. This stage of rheumatoid arthritis is a little serious. Patients need take timely treatment in case complications. In addition, they should also to take some treatment for stopping the aggravation.

Self-care includes dressing self, taking food, having a bath, house keeping and going to lavatory. Work activities (working, going to school and housekeeping) and activities outside of work (entertainment and leisure) are related to age and gender.

How to assess severity of rheumatoid arthritis? There are some remission criteria of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

1. Morning stiffness ≤ 15 min

2. No fatigue

3. No joint pain

4. No joint tenderness or pain on motion

5. No soft tissue swelling in joints or tendon sheaths

6. ESR (Westergren method) ≤ 30 mm/h for a female or 20 mm/h for a male

≥ 5 of the above present at least 2 consecutive months


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