The Isle of Wight group of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society are hosting a meeting on Thursday 25th July for anyone affected by rheumatoid arthritis to come along and find out more about the disease and the care and support available.
The meeting will be at the Laidlaw Day Hospital at St Mary’s Hospital Campus on Dodnor Lane in Newport, starting at 7pm.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an extremely misunderstood disease, often confused with osteoarthritis. A recent survey carried out by ComRes to promote Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Week showed that only a third of people understood the difference between the two. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune systemic disease, where the immune system attacks the body’s own healthy tissues. It goes beyond swelling, stiffness and pain in the joints as it affects the whole body including internal organs. The ComRes study showed that only 16% knew this and that half of people did not realise that RA could affect someone’s life expectancy.
An estimated 1,400 people on the Isle of Wight live with the disease, many of whom are young people, still in the prime of their working life or with a young family. “It is important for those affected by the disease to know that they’re not alone and support is available. Patients can share their experiences and really learn a lot from each other about the disease and how to manage it” said Ailsa Bosworth, Chief Executive of NRAS, and herself an RA patient.
The Isle of Wight NRAS group is part of a network of 40 support groups located across the country, members of which all have rheumatoid arthritis so understand exactly what it is like to have the condition.
