Rheumatoid Arthritis
What is Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)?
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis can also cause inflammation of the tissue in the joints, as well as in places in the body. Autoimmune diseases are illnesses that occur when the tissues are mistakenly attacked by the immune system.
The immune system contains cells and antibodies designed normally to find and destroy invaders of the body, most common is infections. People with autoimmune diseases have antibodies in the blood that target their own body tissues. Because it can affect other organs, rheumatoid arthritis is referred as “a systemic illness” and is sometimes called rheumatoid disease. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease, meaning it can last for many years. Patients can experience long periods without symptoms. However, rheumatoid arthritis is typically a progressive disease that has the potential to destroy the joint.
A joint is where two bones meet to allow movement of body parts. Inflammation of the joint means Arthritis. A typical sign of rheumatoid arthritis is swelling, pain, stiffness and redness in the joints. The inflammation of rheumatoid disease can also occur in tissues around the joints, such as the tendons, ligaments and muscles.
Rheumatoid arthritis can in some cases lead to the destruction of the cartilage, bone and ligaments, causing joint deformation. The damage of the joints varies from patient to patient and can occur early in the disease and be progressive. Clinical studies have shown that the progressive damage to the joints does not necessarily correlate with the degree of pain, stiffness or swelling present in the joints.
The incidence of RA is in the region of 3 cases per 10,000 populations per annum. Rheumatoid arthritis is a common rheumatic disease, affecting approximately 1.3 million people in USA. The disease is three times more common in women as in men. The disease can begin at any age and even affects children called “juvenile rheumatoid arthritis”, but it most often starts after 40 years of age and before 60 years of age.
What causes Rheumatoid Arthritis?
The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is still unknown. Even though infectious agents; like viruses, bacteria and fungi have long been suspected, none of them has been proven as the primary cause. The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is a very active area of worldwide clinical research. It is believed that the tendency to develop rheumatoid arthritis may be genetically inherited. It is also suspected that certain infections or factors in the environment might trigger the activation of the immune system.
It is not known what triggers the onset of rheumatoid arthritis. Regardless of the exact trigger, the result is an immune system that is geared up to promote inflammation in the joints and occasionally other tissues of the body. Environmental factors also seem to play some role in causing rheumatoid arthritis. For example scientists have reported that smoking tobacco increases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
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