Rheumatoid Arthritis is known as an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints. When the joints are affected it can lead to server pain due to the inflammation of the tissue around the joints, as well as in other organs in the body. Autoimmune diseases are illnesses that occur when the body's tissues are incorrectly attacked by their own immune system.
When we look at the immune system it contains a complex organization of cells and antibodies designed normally to seek and destroy aggressive infections in the body. Rheumatoid arthritis principally attacks flexible synovial joints. The process involves an inflammatory response of the capsule around the joints synovium secondary to swellinghyperplasia of synovial cells, excess synovial fluid, and the development of fibrous tissue pannus in the synovium which attacks the joints.
When we look at the immune system it contains a complex organization of cells and antibodies designed normally to seek and destroy aggressive infections in the body. Rheumatoid arthritis principally attacks flexible synovial joints. The process involves an inflammatory response of the capsule around the joints synovium secondary to swellinghyperplasia of synovial cells, excess synovial fluid, and the development of fibrous tissue pannus in the synovium which attacks the joints.
The disease process often leads to the destruction of articular cartilage effectively attacking the joints together in the one locality. It causes pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of function in the joints. Other parts of the body such as the blood, heart and lungs may also be affected. Rheumatoid arthritis is a very aggressive disease, it can also lead to inflammation in the lungs and membrane around the heart. It also can cause inflammation of the tear glands and the salivary
glands.
One of the distinctive features of rheumatoid arthritis is that it occurs in what known as a symmetrical fashion meaning that if one hand is affected it usually in the other hand on the opposite side, whereas osteoarthritis would only affected the one hand. Because rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, whereby a person’s immune system starts to turn against itself, it mistakenly attacks the healthy joint tissue resulting in inflammation and joint damage causing great distress to the individual.
One of the distinctive features of rheumatoid arthritis is that it occurs in what known as a symmetrical fashion meaning that if one hand is affected it usually in the other hand on the opposite side, whereas osteoarthritis would only affected the one hand. Because rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, whereby a person’s immune system starts to turn against itself, it mistakenly attacks the healthy joint tissue resulting in inflammation and joint damage causing great distress to the individual.
RA can be tough to diagnose some signs are:
- Joints are stiff and sore and hard to heal
- Trouble with pains in the feet and lower legs
- Numbness and tingling in the hands
- Eye problems
- Pairs of arches in the joints
- Morning stiffness
- Joints locking
- Nodules on the joints
It is important to remember that symptoms can copy other illnesses, or they may flare, then fade again, only to flare again somewhere else.
Pregnant women are susceptible to RA during pregnancy and beyond.
Your age can play a part in the onset of RA
Morning stiffness that lasts for a period of more than one hour. The stiffness is in one or more of the joints of the body and is totally noticeable upon waking up in the morning. Rheumatoid Arthritis Guy discusses who he is reaching a point where he's come to realize how small a role his rheumatoid arthritis plays in my life, which is quite a change from where he was a few years ago, when absolutely everything he viewed was seen through the lens of RA
Other signs of inflammation swollen joints redness, or a swelling or some tenderness around the area of the affected joints.
- Tender joint with swelling
- Inflammation in hand joints unable to lift items
- Inflammation in a number of joints of the body unable to bend or stoop down
- Inflammation in the same joint, for example on both the knees with noddles
- When the joints swelling are accompanied with sever pain.
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