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Page Contents:
1. What is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
2. Who gets rheumatoid arthritis?
3. When to get medical advice
4. Symptoms and Causes
5. Management and Treatment
6. Sources and references

What is Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease, which means that your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake, causing inflammation (painful swelling) in the affected parts of the body.
 
RA mainly attacks the joints, usually many joints at once. RA commonly affects joints in the hands, wrists, and knees. In a joint with RA, the lining of the joint becomes inflamed, causing damage to joint tissue. This tissue damage can cause long-lasting or chronic pain, unsteadiness (lack of balance), and deformity (misshapenness).

Who gets rheumatoid arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis affects more than 1.3 million people in the United States. It’s 2.5 times more common in females than males.

When to get medical advice

Consult a Doctor if you think you have symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, so they can try to identify the underlying cause.
Diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis quickly is important, because early treatment can prevent it getting worse and reduce the risk of joint damage.
For more information through >> Link

What are the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis affects everyone differently. In some people, joint symptoms develop over several years. In other people, rheumatoid arthritis symptoms progress rapidly. Many people have time with symptoms (flares) and then time with no symptoms (remission).
Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include:
 
-Pain, swelling, stiffness and tenderness in more than one joint.
-Stiffness, especially in the morning or after sitting for long periods.
-Pain and stiffness in the same joints on both sides of your body.
-Fatigue (extreme tiredness).
-Weakness.
-Fever.

What causes rheumatoid arthritis?

The exact cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown. Researchers think it’s caused by a combination of genetics, hormones and environmental factors.
Normally, your immune system protects your body from disease. With rheumatoid arthritis, something triggers your immune system to attack your joints. An infection, smoking or physical or emotional stress may be triggering.

What are the goals of treating rheumatoid arthritis?

The most important goal of treating rheumatoid arthritis is to reduce joint pain and swelling. Doing so should help maintain or improve joint function. The long-term goal of treatment is to slow or stop joint damage. Controlling joint inflammation reduces your pain and improves your quality of life.

 

How is rheumatoid arthritis treated?

Joint damage generally occurs within the first two years of diagnosis, so it’s important to see your provider if you notice symptoms. Treating rheumatoid arthritis in this “window of opportunity” can help prevent long-term consequences.
Treatments for rheumatoid arthritis include lifestyle changes, therapies, medicine and surgery. Your provider considers your age, health, medical history and how bad your symptoms are when deciding on a treatment.
Sources and references
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4924-rheumatoid-arthritis
https://www.birminghambrc.nihr.ac.uk/news-and-events/breaking-down-rheumatoid-arthritis-a-blog-by-professor-andrew-filer
https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/types/rheumatoid-arthritis.
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/331715-overview
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