A Primer on Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis or RA affects approximately 1 out of 100 people between the ages of 35 and 50. Women are more susceptible to the disease and are three times more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than men. Typically, rheumatoid arthritis develops in small joints, including hands, feet and wrists. Over a period of time, the pain and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can advance to larger joints, such as elbows, shoulders and knees. Because it is an autoimmune disease, meaning the immune system is attacking the joints, rheumatoid arthritis can affect connective tissue and blood vessels and can cause inflammation throughout organs in the body, including the heart and lungs.

What causes Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by inflammatory changes in a thin membrane that lines joints, also called the synovium. The synovium not only provides a protective covering for joints, but also secretes a lubricating fluid that enables joints to move freely. When the immune system attacks the synovium, the lining becomes inflamed and irritated, which causes swelling, aching pain and soreness in the affected joint tissue and may lead to cartilage and bone loss.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk Factors

Some factors that may increase your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis include:

Age: Although rheumatoid arthritis can occur at any age, most people develop RA between the ages of 35 and 50.

Gender: Women are at higher risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis and represent three quarters of sufferers of the disease.

Genetics & Family History: There may be an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis if a close family member has the disease.

Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include soreness, stiffness, achiness and loss of function in the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis can affect your wrists, hands, feet, elbows, shoulders, neck, knees, hips and ankles. In addition, rheumatoid arthritis pain can occur in the same joint on both sides of the body. Usually, if one hand
is affected, the other hand also becomes affected.

Unlike osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis can also affect connective tissue and blood vessels throughout the entire body. Inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis can extend to vital organs, including the heart and lungs. Furthermore,inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis can lead to an increased risk of respiratory and infectious diseases.

Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis

The diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis is usually made by a physical examination, x-ray, joint aspiration procedure or blood test. It is important to find out whether or not you have rheumatoid arthritis, and, if diagnosed, what type of treatment is best for you. If swelling or stiffness occurs in your joints for more than two weeks, you should contact your doctor for a physical examination of affected joints.

Because most patients that suffer from rheumatoid arthritis have antibodies called rheumatoid factors in their bloodstream, your doctor may have you take a blood test. However, an indication of rheumatoid factor in your blood does not necessarily mean that you have rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid factor is also found in cases of chronic infection and in some other types of autoimmune disease. Your doctor will most likely want to perform additional tests to confirm your diagnosis.

If your doctor suspects that you may have joint damage, he or she may perform additional tests to assess the severity. X-rays of the affected joints show cartilage loss and bone damage. In addition, your doctor may conduct a joint aspiration procedure, which involves removing synovial fluid from the affected joints with a needle. This test also helps your doctor determine whether or not you have an infection in the affected joint area.

Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Although there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, early diagnosis and self-management can significantly reduce arthritis pain and symptoms. Once you are diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, your doctor will recommend medications to relieve pain and inflammation.

Your doctor may also give you disease-modifying medications to slow the progression of rheumatoid arthritis. Because this type of medication is strong, you will need to be closely monitored by your doctor while you are taking it. Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis also includes rest, exercise, physical or occupational therapy and use of splints.