If you’ve ever had a few nights of bad sleep and noticed your blood pressure reading creeping up during a routine checkup, you’re not imagining things. Can lack of sleep cause hypertension? Absolutely—and it’s something I see all the time in my internal medicine practice. I’ve worked with countless patients who were doing “all the…
As a Rheumatology Nurse Practitioner with years of hands-on experience, I’ve had the privilege of working with countless patients who struggle with the complexities of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). One of the most common questions I get from my patients, especially those dealing with the more debilitating symptoms, is: “Can rheumatoid arthritis cause chronic fatigue syndrome…
As a Rheumatology Nurse Practitioner, I’ve sat across from countless patients who’ve asked me the same thing in different ways: “What are early warning signs of rheumatoid arthritis?” It’s a question I wish more people asked sooner, because with RA, timing really matters. Rheumatoid arthritis is sneaky—it doesn’t always come on with fireworks. Sometimes it…
As a Rheumatology Nurse Practitioner, I’ve had the privilege of working closely with individuals living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). One thing I’ve learned over the years is the importance of pacing activities for those affected by this chronic condition. RA is often a painful, unpredictable journey, and while managing it, many of my patients have…
Let’s talk real life with rheumatoid arthritis and how to cope with daily fatigue—because if you’re anything like many of the patients I’ve worked with, this isn’t just about joint pain or stiffness. It’s that crushing, all-over exhaustion that hits like a freight train, sometimes even before your feet hit the floor in the morning….
If you’re living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you’re probably well aware of how it can affect your joints, causing pain, stiffness, and swelling. But what about something less obvious—like brain fog? It’s a term you might have heard floating around, but what does it really mean, and could RA be behind it? As a Rheumatology…
Chronic fatigue syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis are two complex conditions that often overlap in ways that many people may not fully understand. As a Rheumatology Nurse Practitioner, I’ve seen first-hand how the experience of chronic fatigue can significantly impact patients with rheumatoid arthritis. It’s not just about physical exhaustion; it’s about a sense of being…
Living with rheumatoid arthritis is tough enough, but throw depression into the mix, and things get a whole lot heavier. As a Rheumatology Nurse Practitioner, I’ve seen firsthand just how much these two conditions like to team up and wear people down. When we talk about rheumatoid arthritis and depression treatments, we’re not just talking…
Fatigue. It’s that bone-deep, can’t-get-off-the-couch kind of exhaustion that many of my patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) describe with frustration and defeat in their voices. As a Rheumatology Nurse Practitioner, I’ve had countless conversations about how fatigue isn’t just about being tired—it’s more like your body feels hijacked. One of the most frequent concerns I…