Understanding Rheumatoid Arthritis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, inflammatory disorder that extends beyond just affecting the joints. It can potentially damage a wide range of body systems, including the skin, eyes, lungs, heart, and blood vessels. Classified as an autoimmune disorder, RA occurs when your immune system erroneously targets your own body’s tissues.

When diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, it’s essential to understand that it’s an autoimmune disease, sharing characteristics with conditions like type 1 diabetes. RA is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease, meaning the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in the body, leading to inflammation in affected areas. Primarily, RA targets joints, often in multiple locations simultaneously, particularly in the hands, wrists, and knees.

This autoimmune disease is chronic and symmetrical, distinguishing it from other types of arthritis. Symptoms of pain and inflammation can be observed in various body parts, including fingers, hands, wrists, knees, ankles, feet, and toes. As an autoimmune disorder, RA leads to the immune system attacking healthy cells and tissues, causing inflammation around the joints and potentially damaging the skeletal system. Moreover, RA can adversely affect other organs, such as the heart and lungs, with heredity considered a contributing factor.

Rheumatoid arthritis often results in warm, swollen, and painful joints, with pain and stiffness usually intensifying after rest. Commonly, the disease affects the wrists and hands symmetrically. In RA, the immune system targets the synovium—the tissue lining around joints that produces fluid for smooth joint movement—resulting in inflammation.

For more detailed information on rheumatoid arthritis, including symptoms, causes, and treatment options, you can refer to the following resources:

Mayo Clinic
WebMD
CDC
Cleveland Clinic
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Wikipedia
Arthritis Foundation
Verywell Health