Rheumatoid Arthritis
What is Respiratory Infections?
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory illness.It is an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases are illnesses which occur when the body tissues are mistakenly attacked by its own immune system. The inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis mainly attacks the linings of the joints. However, the membranes lining of the Blood Vessels, Heart, and Lungs may also become inflamed. The joints that are most commonly affected by Rheumatoid Arthritis are in the hands and feet; but any joint lined by a membrane can also be infected. The inflammation can also occur in tissues around the joints, such as the tendons, ligaments, and muscles.
The inflammation of Rheumatoid arthritis can be controlled by medication. If the inflammation is not controlled, rheumatoid arthritis can cause the joints to become deformed. Patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis may experience cycles of severe and light symptoms. Some of the common symptoms are: joint swelling (small joints in hands and feet), joint tenderness, stiffness, and pain, hardened lumps in joints and cartilage and bone destruction.
The majority of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis have antibodies called rheumatoid factors in their bloodstream that are part of the inflammatory process of the disease. The presence of rheumatoid factor helps doctors diagnosis rheumatoid arthritis. This disease affects many people and is more common in women then men. The disease can occur at any age, but most often starts after age forty and before sixty. In some families, multiple members can be affected, suggesting a genetic link.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis may include:- Joint pain
- Joint swelling
- Joints that are tender to the touch
- Red and puffy hands
- Firm bumps of tissue under the skin on your arms (rheumatoid nodules)
- Fatigue
- Morning stiffness that may last for hours
- Fever
- Weight loss
Early rheumatoid arthritis tends to affect your smaller joints first - the joints in your wrists, hands, ankles and feet. As the disease progresses, your shoulders, elbows, knees, hips, jaw and neck also can become involved. In most cases, symptoms occur symmetrically - in the same joints on both sides of your body.
Symptoms may come and go
Rheumatoid arthritis signs and symptoms may vary in severity and may even come and go. Periods of increased disease activity - called flare-ups or flares - alternate with periods of relative remission, during which the swelling, pain, difficulty sleeping and weakness fade or disappear.
When to see a doctor
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have persistent discomfort and swelling in multiple joints on both sides of your body.
