Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammation of joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which immune system attacks normal tissues as if they were invading antibodies. Rheumatoid arthritis also causes inflammation of tissues around joints and other organs of body. The hands and feet are most affected areas of rheumatoid arthritis although it can also affect any joint lined by a membrane. Rheumatoid arthritis is referred to as a systematic illness and sometimes called rheumatoid disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis manifests itself over a period of a few months. However, for some, disease appears overnight. Accelerated onset of rheumatoid arthritis does not mean individual is at greater risk of progression of disease. Rheumatoid arthritis can lasts for years without symptoms. But rheumatoid arthritis is an illness that progresses and has potential to cause joint destrution and functional disability. Usually, patients suffer cycles from severe to light symptoms. In terms of statistics, rheumatoid arthritis is three times more common in women than in men. It also besets people of all races equally. Rheumatoid arthritis can begin at any age but most often start in early forties.

What causes rheumatoid arthritis? The truth is, its cause is still unknown. Viruses, bacteria, and fungi have long been suspected but none has been proven to be cause. The cause of rheumatoid arthritis has been focus of different research activities. There are some scientists who believe that tendency to develop rheumatoid arthritis may be genetically inherited while others believe that certain factors in environment might elicit immune system to attack body's own tissue components. This attack results to inflammation in various organs such as lungs or eyes.

Researchers have also found that environmental factors may also play a role in cause of rheumatoid arthritis. In fact, scientists reported that smoking tobacco increases risk in development of rheumatoid arthritis.

Keeping fluid level gains as low as possible between dialysis treatments will minimize risk of congestive heart failure, pulmonary oedema, and hypertension. Cramps, headaches and breathing difficulties are short term side-effects of fluid overload, and whilst not as dangerous as long term effects, these should be heeded as a pointer to fluid overload in dialysis patients.

Whilst every dialysis patient has their own special method of keeping their fluid levels in check, I thought it might be pertinent to explain some of methods that I have found (relatively) successful.

1/ Buy a bag of ice. I have a large chest freezer in my kitchen, I buy a 5kg (approx 11lb) bag of ice chips from service (gas) station, place it in freezer, and suck on ice chips throughout day. Make sure freezer is in a convenient place, so you can reach it quickly to grab a few small pieces of ice, so you can avoid temptation to fill a glass with ice. (In which case you might as well have that mug of coffee you wanted in first place!)