Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that goes beyond affecting just your joints. It’s an autoimmune disorder, where your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body’s tissues. This condition can damage a variety of body systems, including the skin, eyes, lungs, heart, and blood vessels. Commonly affecting joints in the hands, wrists, and knees, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) leads to symptoms such as joint pain, tenderness, swelling, and stiffness. These symptoms often persist for six weeks or longer, and morning stiffness can last for 30 minutes or more.
The exact cause of RA is unknown, but it’s recognized as an autoimmune disorder. This means the body’s immune system erroneously targets its own healthy cells and tissues, causing inflammation around the joints and potentially damaging the skeletal system. RA can also affect other organs, such as the heart and lungs.
For more in-depth information, you can visit Mayo Clinic, CDC – Centers for Disease, Arthritis Foundation, Merck Manuals, Cleveland Clinic, and Johns Hopkins Medicine.
