Rheumatoid Arthritis
Source: MedlinePlus Health Topics, U.S. National Library of Medicine
What is rheumatoid arthritis? Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a form of arthritis that causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in your joints. RA is an autoimmune disease . Although it is most common in the wrist and fingers, this disease can cause your immune system to attack any joint tissue. The inflammation (swelling) that comes with RA can also affect other body parts. Inflammation could cause medical issues in your eyes, skin, heart, nerves, blood, or lungs. RA differs from osteoarthritis , a common arthritis that often comes with age. RA affects the lining of your joints and damages the tissue that covers the ends of the bones in a joint. Eventually, this might cause your joints to not work as well. There is no cure for RA, but early treatment can help you manage symptoms, reduce joint damage, and lead a productive life. Who is more likely to get rheumatoid arthritis? Rheumatoid arthritis can happen at any age, but your risk increases as you become an older adult . Your chance of developing RA can also increase if: You're a woman. Women are more likely to get RA than men. You have a family history. If a member of your family has RA, you're more likely to get the disease. You're a smoker. Smoking over a long period of time increases your risk of getting RA and how serious the disease can be. You have other medical conditions that may increase your risk of getting RA. These include obesity , gum disease , and lung disease . What causes rheumatoid arthritis? No one knows what causes rheumatoid arthritis. A few things that might play a part in getting RA include: Your genes are parts of DNA in your cells that are passed down from your parents. Certain genes may increase your risk of getting rheumatoid arthritis, but not everyone with these genes gets RA. The environment , which includes things such as cigarette smoke, sometimes triggers RA symptoms. Hormones are chemical messengers in your bloodstream that control the actions of certain cells or organs. Researchers thi