About Rheumatoid Arthritis
What is rheumatoid arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease that causes joint pain and swelling. It primarily involves swelling, or inflammation, of the lining of the joints but can also involve internal organs, such as the eyes, lungs and heart.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease, which means it lasts a long time. Many people with RA note that their arthritis symptoms change over time. Sometimes people with RA will notice their disease is more active and sometimes they will notice their disease is less active. Early diagnosis and treatment is essential for the prevention of many of the complications of RA.
What are some of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis?
Common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include:
- Joint pains
- Joint swelling
- Joint stiffness
- Fatigue
- Skin nodules (bumps under the skin)
Although the joints are the most likely part of the body to be affected in RA, it is important to remember that the disease is a systemic disorder and can also affect many other organs in the body.
Who gets rheumatoid arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis is a common disease. More than 2 million Americans have RA, and people of all races and ethnic backgrounds get the disease. Approximately 75 percent of people with the disease are women. It can occur at any age, however, RA often begins when people are between the ages of 30 and 60 years old.
What causes rheumatoid arthritis?
The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is not known. Scientists have learned that there are both genetic and environmental components to developing the disease. In other words, while there are certain genes associated with RA, there are many people with RA who do not have any specific genetic tendency for the disease. This means that something else, besides a person’s genetic make-up, is needed to get the disease.
We also know that RA is an autoimmune disease. This means that the body’s natural immune system does not act as it should. Instead of serving to fight off infections from bacteria, viruses and the like, the immune system of a person with RA attacks its own body. This causes inflammation and damage. In RA, many parts of the body can be attacked by the immune system, but joints are the most common target.
This information has been approved by Aryeh Fischer, MD (April 2006).
