What is Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis. More than 1.3 million Americans are affected. According to the American College of Rheumatology, about 75% of those affected are women. In fact, between 1% and 3% of women are likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis in their lifetime. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. That means that the immune system attacks parts of the body. For reasons that aren't clear, the joints are the main areas affected by this malfunction in the immune system. Over time, chronic inflammation can lead to severe joint damage and deformities. About one out of every five people who have rheumatoid arthritis develop lumps called rheumatoid nodules. These often develop over joint areas that receive pressure, such as over knuckles, elbows, or heels.

What are the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can come on gradually or start suddenly. Unlike osteoarthritis, symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are often more severe, causing pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, stiffness, and even fever. With rheumatoid arthritis, you may feel pain and stiffness and experience swelling in your hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, knees, ankles, feet, jaw, and neck. Sometimes the pain occurs in one body part. But more commonly, rheumatoid arthritis pain occurs in combinations such as in the hands, knees, and feet. With rheumatoid arthritis, the joints tend to be involved in a symmetrical pattern. That is, if the knuckles on the left hand are inflamed, the knuckles on the right hand will also be inflamed. After a period of time, more of your joints may gradually become involved with pain and swelling and may feel warm to the touch. The joint swelling is persistent and interferes with activities. For example, it can interfere with opening a jar, driving, working, and walking -- the very activities that allow us to function in our daily lives. The stiffness on arising in the morning, which may have started as a temporary nuisance, can soon last for hours or even most of the day. Fatigue can be debilitating. Inflammation can cause reduced appetite and weight loss. Fever, rash, and even involvement of the heart or lungs can occur with rheumatoid arthritis. These feelings and symptoms (other than joint pain and the inflammation in other organs) happen when the damage done by the immune system spills over from the joints to other areas of the body. The exact causes of rashes and heart and lung involvement are not known.

What causes rheumatoid arthritis

With rheumatoid arthritis, some of your body's cells recognize a protein as a foreign intruder. The exact protein involved in rheumatoid arthritis has not yet been discovered. Some experts believe the immune system becomes "confused" after infection with a bacteria or virus and begins attacking the normal joint tissues. Certain immune cells called lymphocytes are stimulated to react to this protein. The reaction causes the release of cytokines, which are chemical messengers that trigger more inflammation and destruction. This battle between the body's chemicals occurs mainly in the joints, but it can spill over to other areas of the body. There are many cytokines, but the most important in terms of causing inflammation are tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-1. These are thought to trigger other parts of the immune system in rheumatoid arthritis. Medicines that block TNF and interleukin-1 can improve the symptoms and prevent joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis.