Understanding Rheumatoid Arthritis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Options

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that typically affects the joints, but can also have systemic impacts. This condition often involves periods of flares and remission. During flares, symptoms like joint pain, swelling, and stiffness intensify, whereas in remission these symptoms may subside. RA can lead to joint deformity and shifting over time.

The primary symptoms of arthritis, including RA, are joint pain and stiffness, often worsening with age. While osteoarthritis involves the breakdown of joint cartilage, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease where the immune system erroneously attacks the joints.

RA can present with symptoms beyond joint issues, such as loss of appetite, dry eyes and mouth (related to Sjogren’s syndrome), and rheumatoid nodules. Early signs of RA typically involve the hands, fingers, feet, and knees, showing pain, tenderness, swelling, warmth, redness, and stiffness.

Rheumatoid arthritis differs from gout, another painful form of arthritis. Gout is characterized by intense pain, redness, stiffness, swelling, and warmth, often in the big toe or other joints, caused by uric acid crystals. In contrast, RA is driven by an autoimmune response leading to joint damage.

RA is more than a joint disorder; it can affect various body systems. To learn more about this condition, including its symptoms and complications, visit Mayo Clinic, Arthritis – Symptoms and causes, Healthline, Verywell Health, Cleveland Clinic, and WebMD.