Understanding Rheumatoid Arthritis

Basics

Rheumatoidarthritis (RA) is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease characterized by theimmune system mistakenly attacking healthy cells in the body, causing painfulswelling in the affected parts. This primarily affects the joints, commonly thehands, wrists, and knees, and can lead to chronic pain, unsteadiness, anddeformity​​​​.

Prevalence

RA canbegin at any age but is most common among adults in their sixties. It is moreprevalent in women, with new cases being two-to-three times higher than inmen​​.

Symptoms

RA symptoms may include:

●      Pain, stiffness, tenderness, andswelling in more than one joint.

●      Symptoms often occur in the samejoints on both sides of the body.

●      Additional symptoms include weightloss, fever, fatigue, and weakness.

●      RA can also affect non-jointareas, such as the skin, eyes, lungs, heart, kidneys, and more​​​​.

Cause

The exact cause of RA is unknown.It's believed to be an immune response where the body attacks its own healthycells, affecting the joint lining. Genetic factors may increase susceptibility,especially when combined with environmental triggers like smoking orobesity​​​​.

Risk Factors

●      Age: Increases with age, commonlybeginning in middle age.

●      Gender: Higher incidence in women.

●      Genetics: Family history of RAincreases risk.

●      Smoking: Increases the risk andseverity of RA.

●      Obesity: Higher risk in overweightindividuals​​​​.

Diagnosis

RAdiagnosis includes reviewing symptoms, physical examination, X-rays, and labtests. Early diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment to slow or stopdisease progression​​.

Treatment

Treatmentinvolves medications like disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) andbiological response modifiers. Additionally, self-management strategies areimportant for pain relief and maintaining joint function​​​​.

This blog provides an overviewbased on information from the Arthritis Foundation, the CDC, and the MayoClinic. For a personalized understanding and treatment plan, it is recommendedto consult healthcare professionals.