Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that can affect more than just your joints. In some people, the condition can damage a wide variety of body systems, including the skin, eyes, lungs, heart and blood vessels.
RA mainly attacks the joints, usually many joints at once. RA commonly affects joints in the hands, wrists, and knees. In a joint with RA, the lining of the joint becomes inflamed, causing damage to joint tissue.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) most commonly affects the joints in a person's hands, wrists, and knees. It can cause intense pain, swelling, and stiffness. However, RA may affect the whole body. Without effective treatment, it can be progressive, meaning that it may get worse over time.
In the early stages, people with RA may not see redness or swelling in the joints, but they may experience tenderness and pain. These symptoms are clues to RA: Joint pain, tenderness, swelling or stiffness that lasts for six weeks or longer. Morning stiffness that lasts for 30 minutes or longer.
People with rheumatoid arthritis typically have several permanently inflamed joints. The inflammation inside the body can lead to general physical weakness, drowsiness and exhaustion. This feeling of extreme tiredness is also called "fatigue." Some people find this to be the worst symptom of the disease.
No blood test can definitively prove or rule out a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, but several tests can show indications of the condition. Some of the main blood tests used include: erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) – which can help assess levels of inflammation in the body.
People with RA don't live as long as other people on average. Life expectancy, or how long you may expect to live, is influenced by many things, like your genes, age, medical history, and lifestyle. RA can shorten your life expectancy by an average of 10 years compared to people who don't have the disease.
People who have RA often describe their fatigue as a deep tiredness or slowing down, akin to the feeling someone might have while recovering from the flu. It's also worth noting that other potential causes of fatigue exist, outside of RA.
Common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include: Joint pain at rest and when moving, along with tenderness, swelling, and warmth of the joint. Joint stiffness that lasts longer than 30 minutes. Feeling unusually tired or having low energy.
RA flare-ups are caused by one or more triggers, including diet, stress, illness, weather changes, smoking, and overexertion. The most common signs of RA are joint pain and swelling, fatigue, and joint stiffness, especially in the morning and after sitting for long periods.
Pain. The joint pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis is usually a throbbing and aching pain. It is often worse in the mornings and after a period of inactivity.
Both involve inflammation in the joints, but RA causes much more inflammation.
RA can be excruciating and is possibly life-threatening.
The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis often develop gradually over several weeks, but some cases can progress quickly over a number of days. The symptoms vary from person to person. They can come and go, and may change over time.
Methotrexate is usually the first medicine given for rheumatoid arthritis, often with another DMARD and a short course of steroids (corticosteroids) to relieve any pain. These may be combined with biological treatments.
At-home rheumatoid factor (RF) testing: At-home rheumatoid factor testing detects levels of rheumatoid factor in the blood. Testing kits allow patients to obtain a sample of blood using a finger stick. Once a sample of blood is collected in a test vial, it's sent to a laboratory for analysis.
Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors.
The newest class of drugs for RA, JAK inhibitors work by blocking the enzymes Janus kinase 1 (JAK1), JAK2, JAK3, and tyrosine kinase 2, which play a role in cell signaling that leads to the inflammatory and immune responses seen in RA and other conditions.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disorder affecting the joints. RA usually starts between the ages of 25 and 45 years, but it can sometimes present in older people. RA may cause symptoms throughout the body, including pain, stiffness, and fatigue.
Research shows patients with RA have a higher chance of developing conditions like IBS and other IBDs such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. On top of abdominal pain, you might also experience bloody stools, diarrhea, fatigue, and reduced appetite.
Stage I: Synovitis
During stage I, you may start having mild symptoms, including joint pain and joint stiffness. Most commonly, this affects the hands and fingers, as well as the ankles and knees. The immune system has begun attacking the joint tissue, causing the synovial membrane to swell and become inflamed.
Lupus and Scleroderma
The autoimmune diseases systemic lupus erythematosus and scleroderma are two separate conditions but often present with joint involvement that mimics rheumatoid arthritis.