According to an international survey a third of women living with rheumatoid arthritis in the U.K. say they don’t enjoy Christmas as much as they used to due to their condition. U.K. Women Living With Rheumatoid Arthritis Find Shopping for Gifts, Preparing Holiday Food, Writing Cards and Going to Parties Four of the Most Difficult Activities to do. Three Quarters of Women Living With Rheumatoid Arthritis in the U.K. Experience Pain Daily.
The survey of women in the United Kingdom (U.K.) reveals that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has a severe emotional and physical impact on people living with the disease and their families. Feelings of detachment and isolation from those closest to them due to RA are especially prevalent at Christmas, which should be one of the happiest times of the year. The survey findings of 300 women with RA living in the U.K. suggest that 33% feel the disease impacts on their enjoyment of family events like Christmas, which increases to 39% for women with moderate RA.
Additionally, RA is impacting on personal relations, with more than a quarter of women believing the condition affects their closest relationships for the worse, and 61% feeling that friends and family do not understand their pain.
“Three quarters of UK women living with RA experience pain every day, which can be more intense during busy times of the year, such as Christmas, and this can seriously impact a patient’s enjoyment of the festive season. More than half of patients included in the survey are not talking to their physician about pain control options, which is imperative to enable them to take control of their pain, especially around Christmas when pain can be a considerable issue. This will ensure that more patients achieve a pain free ‘good day’ and ultimately improve their quality of life.” Said Professor Paul Emery, Professor of Rheumatology, University of Leeds.
Shopping for gifts, preparing food, writing cards and going to parties are four festive activities that women living with RA in the U.K find most difficult to do. Among women with severe RA, more than three quarters (78%) experience difficulty when shopping for gifts, and 71% report it painful to prepare Christmas food, with more than a quarter (27%) of these women having stopped Christmas cooking altogether.
In light of the ‘Good Days’ survey findings, UCB and the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society have collaborated to develop the ‘12 Tips of Christmas’ with information to help people with RA manage and enjoy the hectic holiday season. Please visit http://www.nras.org.uk/12Tips for the full guide that details ways to embrace and enjoy the countdown to Christmas.
About Rheumatoid Arthritis
It is estimated that 5 million people suffer from RA globally, with 0.8 percent of the U.K. adult population being affected. Prevalence is not split evenly between genders, since women are three times more likely to be affected than men3. Although RA can affect people of all ages, the onset of the disease usually occurs between 30-50 years of age.
RA symptoms often lead to restricted mobility and permanent damage and disfigurement of the joints and bones. People living with RA are at a higher risk of developing other conditions, including heart disease, stroke, depression, infections, lung problems and osteoporosis.
