How Can You Get IVF Done If You Have Arthritis?

Arthritis is a swelling of either of your muscles and joints or a number of joints. According to medical reports, there are more than a hundred different categories of arthritis. However, the two common ones affecting the majority of the population across the world are rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA).

Arthritis has been seen to commonly occur in individuals who are more than 60 years of age. However, it can also occur in teens, children and young adults. Another important factor is that arthritis as a condition is more common in females than males. Also, people who are overweight are more susceptible to suffering from it.

Symptoms of Arthritis:

Aside from the already mentioned persistent sign of swelling or inflammation other common symptoms include stiffness and joint pain. People who suffer from the condition of arthritis experience painful swelling in the morning along with redness around the skin of the joint.

Those who suffer from RA specifically are prone to suffering from tiredness, reduced appetite, anaemia and fever.

Causes of Arthritis:

Arthritis can be caused by mere wear and tear of the joints. Sometimes infection or damage to the joint muscles can also trigger the condition. Also, arthritis is hereditary.

Living with Arthritis:

For those suffering from arthritis carrying out simple daily activities can be extremely painful. This includes walking, and climbing stairs and personal grooming activities such as shaving combing hair etc. Also, people have trouble gripping, kneeling and reaching out to grab objects. Other limitations posed by arthritis include difficulty in getting pregnant via In Vitro Fertilization or IVF.

IVF and Arthritis:

Women who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis have lowered the chances of getting pregnant with assisted reproductive technology such as IVF. This has been a rather recent finding in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases journal.

A few cases studies were carried out which have been reported within the journal. It has been discovered that women affected with RA were found 22 per cent less likely to get pregnant compared to other women. The chances of clinical pregnancy in women with RA were also less by 20 per cent.

According to doctors, it is recommended that patients take corticosteroid medication prior to opting for IVF. This increases the chance of conception.