Rheumatoid Arthritis - What Is It?
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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune (long-term) disease that causes inflamed, swollen, stiff and painful joints. The surrounding tissue of the joints and other organs are also affected. The joints generally affected are the wrists, fingers, knees, feet, and ankles. It is generally seen on both sides of the body equally. For example if one knee is affected then the other one will be too. It affects around 1 in 50 people and is more common in women than men. It is most common after the age of 40, but can happen at any age. |
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Causes
The cause of RA is unknown, but it is thought that infection (viruses, bacteria, and fungi), genes (in some families, multiple members can be affected), and hormones may contribute to the disease.
The immune system is a complex organization of cells and antibodies designed normally to "seek and destroy" invaders of the body, particularly infections. Patients with autoimmune diseases have antibodies in their blood that target their own body tissues, where they can be associated with inflammation. Because it can affect multiple other organs of the body, RA is referred to as a systemic illness
A membrane called the synovium lines each of your movable joints. When you have RA, white blood cells (containing antibodies), whose usual job is to attack unwanted invaders, such as bacteria and viruses, move from your bloodstream into your synovium. Here, these blood cells appear to cause the synovial membrane to become inflamed (synovitis).
Regardless of the exact trigger the course and the severity of the illness can vary considerably from person to person
The nagging pains and physical limitations of RA are among the most debilitating of all forms of arthritis, causing joints to ache and throb. Eventually the joint will lose its shape and alignment and become deformed, causing disability. Sometimes these symptoms make even the simplest activities — such as opening a jar or taking a walk very difficult to manage.
