Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a serious, painful, and chronic (long-lasting) disease. It is an autoimmune disease - a disease where the body's immune system attacks healthy cells. When a person has RA, their immune system attacks the joints and the tissues around the joints in the body. This causes different problems, like:
- The capsules around the joints get swollen
- The body makes too much synovial fluid (the special fluid that is supposed to cushion the joints)
- Tough fibrous tissue builds up in the synovium area (which is also supposed to help cushion the joints)
Eventually, RA can destroy a person's articular cartilage. Normally, articular (having to do with the joints) cartilage covers the end of bones where they come together to form joints. This keeps the bones from rubbing against each other. If the articular cartilage has been destroyed by RA, the bones will rub against each other, which is very painful.
No one knows what causes RA, but some theories are that it has to do with hormones, environment, infection[1] and genes. There is no cure, but doctors have determined ways to help slow down and reduce the impact of the disease. Women are two to three times as likely as men to get rheumatoid arthritis. Most cases of RA occur in people between the ages of 25 and 55.[2][3]
RA was first recognized around 1800 by Dr. Augustin Jacob Landré-Beauvais.[4]
Symptoms
Symptoms may include:
- Swelling, stiffness, and pain around affected joints
- Fever
- A feeling of discomfort and tiredness
Often, people with RA also develop anemia, a different disease that causes a person to have not enough blood cells in the blood.
Less often, a person with RA could have:
- inflamed blood vessels
- neck pain
Rheumatoid Arthritis Media
A diagram showing how rheumatoid arthritis affects a joint
X-ray of the hand in rheumatoid arthritis
Appearance of synovial fluid from a joint with inflammatory arthritis
Closeup of bone erosions in rheumatoid arthritis
Disability-adjusted life year for RA per 100,000 inhabitants in 2004.*
Deaths from rheumatoid arthritis per million persons in 20120–0 1–1 2–3 4–5 6–6 7–8 9–9 10–12 13–20 21–55
References
- ↑ George Hajishengallis. Periodontitis: from microbial immune subversion to systemic inflammation
- ↑ Lovell, Daniel J. "Arthritis." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2016. Web. 22 Feb. 2016
- ↑ NWHRC Health Center - Rheumatoid Arthritis. June 18, 2008 pNA.
- ↑ Landré-Beauvais AJ (1800). La goutte asthénique primitive (doctoral thesis). Paris. reproduced in Landré-Beauvais AJ (2001). "The first description of rheumatoid arthritis. Unabridged text of the doctoral dissertation presented in 1800". Joint Bone spine 68 (2): 130–43. doi:10.1016/S1297-319X(00)00247-5. PMID 11324929.