What is rheumatoid arthritis?Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation throughout the body. This inflammatory disease causes the immune system to mistakenly attack the body and damage the joints, skin, eyes, lungs, heart, and vessels. Rheumatoid arthritis affects the lining of the joints and causes painful swelling that can lead to severe bone and joint problems.
What are the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis?Common signs of rheumatoid arthritis include:
Warm and swollen joints
Stiffness in the joints
Fatigue and loss of appetite
What causes rheumatoid arthritis?It isn't entirely clear what starts the process of rheumatoid arthritis, but it is known that this is an autoimmune disease. The immune system protects your body against infection and sickness by attacking foreign substances like bacteria. In the case of autoimmune disease, the immune system instead attacks healthy tissues in the body. This is why rheumatoid arthritis can cause issues in other areas of the body outside of just the joints. Genes do not cause rheumatoid arthritis, but some genes can make it more likely that a person will react to environmental factors that could trigger the disease. Risk factors that make the disease more likely include: being a middle-aged woman, having a family history, smoking, and being overweight.
How do you treat rheumatoid arthritis?Although there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, remission is possible with early treatment using disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Common medications for rheumatoid arthritis include NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, steroids, conventional DMARDs, biologic agents, and targeted synthetic DMARDs. Physical therapy and occupational therapy can also help individuals with joint flexibility and symptom management. Surgery to repair joints is an option for individuals who have not found success using medications and other interventions. Surgical procedures for rheumatoid arthritis include synovectomy, tendon repair, joint fusion, and total joint replacement. Opting for surgery may help you gain mobility back in your joints, but it carries risks with it as well.