One well-known type of arthritis, RA or rheumatoid arthritis is the condition that is said to be autoimmune. Meaning, it has the tendency to affect other parts of the body that your immune system can reach. It is so common for the reason that it affects more than 10 million of people in the United States alone, with the victims aging from 25 to 50. Children and senior citizens, however, can still be affected by it, and as what many researches have revealed, three quarters of these victims are women.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that is symmetric. That is what many experts on the medical field have said, and this claim is patterned from the findings that RA may involve similar joints on both sides of the body. The most common targets of this condition include the wrists, fingers, legs and arms. It may also affect the eyes, lungs, and heart, especially on the most severe stages.

Symptoms of RA

Unlike the first mentioned type, rheumatoid arthritis may develop on a gradual or sudden manner. It may even be severe with the attack of a flu-like condition. Well, on the early stage, this autoimmune condition may manifest with some pains particularly on the joints affected. This happens since even on the onset of the condition, the joint lining known medically as “synovium” is inflamed. Stiffness, pain, swelling, redness and warmth may then occur. Once the inflammation develops, the cells within the affected joint will the start to produce an enzyme which may in turn digest the bone and its cartilage.

The other notable symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include weakness and fatigue, immobility which tends to improve with movement, minor fevers, weight loss, the development of rheumatoid nodules under the skin particular on the fingers, forearms and ankles, as well as anemia.

Note that these rheumatoid symptoms vary from person to person. There are some victims who may only be experiencing from mild symptoms, while others may suffer from the most severe of the condition. For those with milder symptoms, the pain and the swelling may only be felt with periods of activity and inactivity. For those with severe inflammation, on the other hand, the symptoms can be felt over time. They may even appear to get worse and even permanent. As a result, people suffering from severe rheumatoid arthritis may continuously appear tired and weak. Weight loss and fever may occur. Being so serious, it is necessary for every sufferer to consult a doctor or specialist to find out about the severity of the condition. If your doctor tells you that you have the RA, then there’s nothing best you can do then than to see a medical expert specializing in rheumatism so to start the treatment.

Causes of RA

No one until these days knows the real cause of rheumatoid arthritis. This is also true as with the rest of the arthritis types. However, there are some researches and studies claiming that there are certain factors that may have possibly contributed to the development of RA. Well, of these causes, the attack of viruses and bacteria to the joints and its tissues is deemed to be the most well-known.

According to several studies, rheumatoid arthritis occurs when a bacterium or virus attacks the tissues of the joints, causing it to swell. This viral attack happens to some genetic predispositions, which in turn is associated with the inheritance of a particular chemical marker on the bodily cells.

There is also a particular claim which states that rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. Being that type, it is expected for this disorder to affect even the tissues of the body once an immune response is detected. This happens when body produced antibodies which target and attack the bodily joints, leading to the development of the inflammation. The joint becomes more inflamed and painful when excess fluid starts to flow into certain spaces on the affected joints.

Severe stress also plays a very big part to the development of rheumatoid arthritis. That’s what most medical expert say, and as for what reason is unknown.

For more information about Arthritis,please click What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis treatments.