Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by dysfunction of the immune system in the body, resulting in swelling and pain in joints of all sizes throughout the body, especially in the joints of the hands, which become swollen, painful, and stiff, and in general, arthritis occurs symmetrically in the left and right side limbs. In the past, more than 80% of patients were disabled due to joint deformities (and lost their ability to work or even take care of themselves. With the development of modern medical science, doctors have a better understanding of rheumatoid arthritis, and the introduction of new therapeutic drugs, especially biologics, has greatly improved the prognosis of this disease, making it possible to achieve complete remission (i.e., cure) of rheumatoid arthritis. However, there are many patients in China who do not receive active and regular treatment because of misconceptions in their mindset and end up with joint deformities. In our daily work, we find that patients with higher education level are more likely to suffer from joint deformity because of “half knowledge”, which is very sad. Myth 1: “Drugs are toxic”. For patients with immune disorders, doctors often use “methotrexate” and “leflunomide” to suppress abnormal immune reactions, but some patients read the drug instructions and dare not take or reduce the dosage without permission, especially afraid to take methotrexate because it is originally The reason for this is that they are overly worried that these drugs will hurt their liver and kidneys, and they miss the opportunity to treat them. As the familiar saying goes, “medicine is three parts poisonous, no poison is not medicine”, before a drug can be used for clinical treatment, it needs to go through strict animal testing and clinical trials, and only drugs with good therapeutic effects and little toxic side effects can be approved. In other words, only drugs that are safe and effective for the majority of patients can be used to treat diseases, and the chance of side effects in the treatment process is like winning the lottery, and most people have no chance. If you can take the medicine under the guidance of a doctor, its safety is guaranteed. Misconception 2: “Western medicine has big side effects, while Chinese medicine has small side effects”. This understanding is also incomplete, and it is worth being alert to the fact that some charlatans are taking advantage of this psychology to confuse patients with so-called ancestral secret recipes and prescriptions, and many people fall for them, resulting in wasted money and delayed treatment. In fact, “all drugs are toxic”, regardless of Chinese medicine, Western medicine is the same, for example, rheumatoid arthritis has a very good effect on the Lei Gong Vine, although it belongs to Chinese medicine, its toxic side effects are even higher than the Western medicine methotrexate. Conversely, herbal medicines with particularly low toxic side effects are also very ineffective for rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore, patients need to keep in mind that the benefits are always proportional to the risks. Myth 3: “Refuse painkillers”. Because there is inflammation in the joints, there is bound to be joint pain, some patients think “I can fix this pain” and refuse to take anti-inflammatory painkillers, in fact, these drugs not only have pain relief and anti-inflammatory effects, and also have a lowering effect on blood sedimentation and C-reactive protein, so in medicine we call these drugs Therefore, in medicine, we call these drugs “non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs” to distinguish them from steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, that is, glucocorticoids (commonly known as “hormones”). It is also very helpful in terms of pain relief alone, as it helps patients to exercise their joints to protect their function. Myth #4: “No hormones”. The “hormones” mentioned here precisely refer to glucocorticoids, such as prednisone and dexamethasone. Some patients are overly concerned about their side effects, while others are afraid of “addiction”. Prior to the 1980s, it is true that the abuse of prednisone led to many “costly” adverse reactions in patients. However, there is a lot of evidence that the long-term use of small doses of the hormone (e.g., no more than two prednisone tablets per day) is “good for one thing”, i.e., it helps to control joint inflammation quickly and prevent joint deformation without serious side effects. Therefore, for some joints with serious symptoms that cannot be relieved by taking NSAIDs, or with obvious systemic symptoms or visceral organ involvement, hormone therapy is still needed, and after the condition is effectively controlled, the dosage of prednisone will be slowly reduced little by little without “addiction”. Patients do not have to be “intimidated” by hormones. Therefore, if you suspect rheumatoid arthritis, you should go to a rheumatology specialist at a regular hospital. Rheumatoid arthritis is a devastating joint disease, and only active medication can help control the disease and stop its development, thus avoiding deformity and disability. Although there are toxic side effects of medications, the chances are small and the risks are worth it when compared to the benefits of treatment, just as we should not “choke on our food”. Moreover, through timely follow-up, doctors can detect side effects at an early stage and take appropriate measures to avoid adverse consequences.