Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic auto-immune disease which causes inflammation of the joints and marked deformities. It is a form of arthritis that causes pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of function in the joints. It can affect any joint but is common in the wrist and fingers.

Since rheumatoid arthritis is an auto-immune disease, it means that the arthritis results from the human immune system attacking the body's own tissues. Something (possibly a virus) triggers an attack on the synovial membranes of the joints by the immune system. This releases cytokines (protein molecules that regulate the immune system) which stimulate an inflammatory reaction. This reaction can lead to the destruction of all components of the joint. The disease can be severely debilitating and painful.

Causes of rheumatoid arthritis

by Carole Somerville

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a potentially debiliating autoimmune disorder that causes the joints and other tissues to become painfully inflamed. The real causes of most forms of arthritis are unknown...More>
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Rheumatoid arthritis: Symptoms and treatment

by Kelly Clark

Description of Rheumatoid ArthritisRheumatoid arthritis is a form of arthritis that, unlike the more common osteoarthritis, occurs in joints on both sides of the body-for example, if rheumatoid arthri...More>
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How to tell if you have rheumatoid arthritis

by Audrey-Anastasia Alleyne

How to Tell If You Have Rheumatoid Arthritis There are two main types of arthritis, which both involve pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints. How can you tell if you have osteoarthritis or rh...More>
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How to manage rheumatoid arthritis

by Christobel Rajesh

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis can also cause inflammation of the tissue around the joints such as the tendons, liga...More>
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Finding useful information about rheumatoid arthritis

by Janet Farricelli CPDT-KA

With more than 100 types of arthritis and with the number of people diagnosed with this crippling disease steadily growing, it does not come much as a surprise that when the word "arthritis" is typed ...More>
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The effects of rheumatoid arthritis on the hands

by V. Kumar

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS is an auto immune disease wherein the immune system of the body attacks one's own joints, leading to their injury, swelling, pain and deformities. It involves multiple joints, the...More>
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Rheumatoid arthritis: Management and Remedies

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Rheumatoid Arthritis: Quick Facts

The symptoms of RA include pain and stiffness in joints in the morning, swollen joints and rheumatoid nodules.
In addition to affecting the joints, rheumatoid arthritis may occasionally affect the skin, eyes, lungs, heart, blood, or nerves.
Rheumatoid arthritis affects about 1% of US population. Women are affected three times as frequently as men.
The onset of disease in the patients is usually in their 30's and 40's. Young children can also suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. In this case, it is known as Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis or JRA.
The treatment includes a combination of rest and exercise, physiotherapy, surgery and disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).

Useful Links

Rheumatoid Arthritis - Medicinenet.com
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic ...
Rheumatoid arthritis - MayoClinic.com
Comprehensive overview covers signs, symptoms and treatment of this inflammatory arthritis.
Rheumatoid Arthritis - Arthritis Disease Center
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease, mainly characterized by inflammation of the lining, or synovium, of the joints. ...
Rheumatoid Arthritis - WebMD.com
Here you'll find in-depth rheumatoid arthritis information including its causes, ...