Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) are two common types of arthritis that both cause pain and joint damage. However, they are distinct diseases with different causes and characteristics.
RA is an autoimmune disease, meaning the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues. This condition particularly affects smaller joints like the fingers, wrists, ankles, and feet, often in a symmetrical pattern. Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic autoimmune illness associated with chronic inflammation throughout the body.
On the other hand, OA is often associated with overuse, obesity, and older age. It is the most common form of arthritis and involves the wearing away of the cartilage that caps the bones in joints. Unlike RA, osteoarthritis is not an autoimmune condition but rather a degenerative joint disease.
The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age. While both RA and OA cause these symptoms, the underlying causes are very different. RA is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease causing the immune system to attack joints and their lining, whereas osteoarthritis is characterized by the breakdown of cartilage.
For more in-depth information on these conditions, you can visit Verywell Health, WebMD, Medical News Today, HealthCentral, and Mayo Clinic.
