Rheumatoid Arthritis is an inflammatory disease that affects the small joints in your hands and feet. It affects the lining of your joints causing pain and swelling. Which can eventually cause bone erosion and joint deformity? An autoimmune disorder, rheumatoid arthritis occurs when your immune system attacks its own body tissue. This disease can occur at any age but usually between the age of 40 and 60 years of age. Rheumatoid arthritis usually attacks your smaller joints first, such as those that attach your fingers to your hands, and your toes to your feet. As the disease progresses, symptoms sometimes spread to the wrists, knees, ankles, elbows, hips and shoulders. Over time it can cause your joints to deform and shift out of place.(National …show more content…
Gradually, the joint loses its shape and alignment. Doctor’s don’t know what causes this process to start, but it could be a genetic component. Your genes don’t cause the arthritis, but they can make you more susceptible to environmental factors, such as infection with certain viruses and bacteria that may trigger the disease. If a member of your family has the disease you are more likely to get it also. Rheumatoid arthritis can range from mild to severe. In most cases it is chronic, which means it lasts a long time even a lifetime. Scientists estimate the about 1.5 million people, or about 0.6 percent of the U.S. adult population have rheumatoid arthritis, according to the National Arthritis Data Workgroup. It occurs in all races and ethnic groups. Although the disease starts in mid-life, older teenagers and young adults may also be diagnosed with the disease. About two to three times as many women as men have the disease. Rheumatoid arthritis is primarily a disease of the joints. A joint is the point where two or more bones come together which is supposed to protect your immune system, the body from infection and disease, attacks joint tissues for unknown reasons. White blood cells, travel to the synovial and cause inflammation (synovitis), which causes the warmth, redness, swelling, and pain. As rheumatoid progresses, the inflamed synovium invades and destroys the cartilage and bone …show more content…
It tends to affect your smaller joints, joints that attach to your hands and your toes which may cause you to awaken stiff and make it hard to move around especially when you first wake up. Also, when sitting for long periods of time when you go to get up, you may find it difficult to stand or move freely. This disease is very painful and you may find yourself wondering why you don’t get around like you used to or you are unable to perform daily tasks such as tying your shoes or holding on to the simplest of things. You may find things hard to grasp. Your joints will begin to crack and pop when you bend your fingers, and as time progresses, you may notice a slight curvature in your
Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease that affects whole systems of body particularly cardiovascular system, nerves, respiratory system (RACGP, 2009). The causes of rheumatoid arthritis are unknown but it is hereditary which assists to have a risk of rheumatoid arthritis by 50%-60% (RACGP, 2009).
Rheumatoid Arthritis or “RA” is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system mistakenly attacks its own body tissues. This disease affects the lining of joints causing pain and swelling. Eventually the swelling can lead to bone erosion and joint deformity. RA can happen to anyone at any age, but the majority of people who have to endure this disease are women over the age of 40.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints. While inflammation of the tissue around the joints and inflammatory arthritis are characteristic features of rheumatoid arthritis, the disease can also cause inflammation and injury in other organs in the
Rheumatoid arthritis affects the joints in the wrists and knuckles, though it may occur in any joint. It spreads throughout the body and damages connective tissues and organs. It will eventually, if unchecked, stiffen the joints in deformed positions. In this disease inflamed tissues erode the bones and cartilage.
The immune system is supposed to protect its health by fighting off substances like bacteria and viruses. When the immune system attacks the joints, it creates inflammation in the joints causing the tissue to thicken (What is Rheumatoid). It’s rare to see Rheumatoid arthritis in children, and you would normally see it in females than males in their 30’s through 60’s (What is Rheumatoid). There are drugs available to ease the symptoms, slow, and stop Rheumatoid arthritis (Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis(RA) is the most common type of autoimmune arthritis. RA is a progressive and debilitating musculoskeletal disorder that affects the joints symmetrically, causing a range of systemic effects. What it causes is still not well known; nevertheless, findings of new research points towards a believe that it is triggered by a defective immune system, which causes the release of inflammatory chemicals. These chemicals cause damage to cartilage and bone, usually affecting the wrists, the joints of the hand, including the knuckles, the middle joints of the fingers and feet. While this condition can affect any joints, besides, important body organs such as the eyes and the lungs can also be affected by the inflammation that occurs as a result of this chronic condition. Only in America 1.3 million of people are affected by this ailment, and 75 % of them are mainly women. Its onset usually occurs between fourth and sixth decades; however, RA can occur at any age("Diseases And
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic syndrome that is characterized by inflammation of the peripheral joints, but it may also involve the lungs, heart, blood vessels, and eyes. The prevalence of this autoimmune disease is between 0.3% to 1.5% of the population in the United States (Feinberg, pp 815). It affects women two to three times more often than men, and the onset of RA is usually between 25 and 50 years of age, but it can occur at any age (Reed, pp 584). RA can be diagnosed by establishing the presence of persistent joint pain, swelling in a symmetric distribution, and prolonged morning stiffness. RA usually affects multiple joints, such as the hands, wrists, knees, elbows, feet, shoulders, hips, and small
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune inflammatory disease which causes inflammation on joints leading to disability. The deterioration is caused by constant attack in the synovium leading to synovial cells to a rough and grainy tissue eventually allowing the bones to crumble away. The disease currently has no cure and scientists are thriving to find a target specifically aiming at the bones.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease. The disease happens when the immune system mistakenly attacks a healthy tissue as if it was a foreign invader, such as a virus or bacteria. If left untreated it can lead to permanent joint damage, decrease in quality of life, and total disability. It affects over a million people in the U.S. alone. Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms include persistent joint inflammation which causes joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. Fatigue and stiffness are usually early symptoms. Joint pain can be an early symptom in a variety of diseases. Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis often develop slowly over a period of weeks or longer, but this is not always the case, it can have an acute
Many people all over the world may have rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects the small joints in the hands and feet (Mayoclinicorg, 2015). It is also an autoimmune disease, where the immune system sees the body as a foreign object and attacks it (Mayoclinicorg, 2015). As the chronic disorder matures, it could seep into the blood vessels and into other organs: heart, lungs, skin, and eyes (Mayoclinicorg, 2015). This chronic pain is found mostly in women around forty to sixty years old; however, men with low testosterone could also have the chronic disorder (Mayoclinicorg, 2015). Because smokers burn off certain cells to prevent infection, they are also at risk for rheumatoid arthritis. This
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease that is characterized by inflammation and destruction of the joints (1). It usually affects joints asymmetrically, or on both sides of the body
Rheumatoid arthritis is most common in the hands, but it can also affect the joints in the elbows, knees, and ankles. This form of arthritis causes inflammation in the joints and connecting ligaments, resulting in pain and stiffness. For many, the pain is so severe, they are unable to grasp objects or use their hands and fingers
Rheumatoid Arthritis or (RA) is an autoimmune disease that attacks the joints and connective tissue. The result is inflammation that produces permanent damage in the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic syndrome that tends to be progressive and destructive as compared to Osteoarthritis or (OA), which is more of an age related disease caused by “wear and tear” of the joints. In contrast to (OA), rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by inflammation mostly of the joints, but is a general body disease.
Arthritis is a common disease but is not just a singular disease. Arthritis consists of hundreds of different kinds of disease that include the joints and bones. People of all ages have a chance of getting some form of Arthritis, but it is more common in women who are older. Around 50 million adults and around 300,000 Children have some form of arthritis. Symptoms may be very random and occur very rarely or they can occur
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that can cause chronic inflammation in the joints and other parts of the body. It affects the lining of the joints that causes painful swelling that can eventually lead to joint distortion and bone erosion. Rheumatoid arthritis can affect people of all ages but it mostly begins after the age of 40 and has been found to more prevalent in women. There is no known cure for rheumatoid arthritis and treatment focuses on controlling the symptoms and preventing further joint damage. Numerous treatments such as medication and surgery can help a great deal and for some natural treatments are more favorable. It is best to consult your doctor if you’re planning to take on