What is rheumatoid arthritis? Meaning, causes, types, symptoms, diagnosis, complications and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis...
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RA is an autoimmune disease. It is also a systemic disease, which means it affects the whole body.
It occurs when a person's immune system mistakes the body's healthy tissues for foreign invaders.
As the immune system responds, inflammation occurs in the target tissue or organ.
In the case of RA, this can be the joints, lungs, eyes, and heart.
Symptoms
Symptoms of RA include:
pain, swelling, and stiffness in more than one jointsymmetrical joint involvementjoint deformityunsteadiness when walkinga general feeling of being unwellfeverloss of function and mobilityweight lossweakness
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the symptoms usually affect the same joints on both sides of the body
Symptoms tend to come and go. During a remission, they can disappear, or they can be mild. However, during a flare, they can be severe.
Causes
Nobody knows what causes the immune system to malfunction.
Some people appear to have genetic factors that make it more likely. One theory is that bacteria or a virus triggers RA in people who have this genetic feature.
In RA, the immune system's antibodies attack the synovium, which is the smooth lining of a joint. When this happens, pain and inflammation result.
Inflammation causes the synovium to thicken. Eventually, if left untreated, it can invade and destroy cartilage — the connective tissue that cushions the ends of the bones.
The tendons and ligaments that hold the joint together can also weaken and stretch. The joint eventually loses its shape and configuration. The damage can be severe.
Risk factors
The CDC note that people with a higher risk of developing RA may include those who:
are aged 60 years or aboveare femalehave specific genetic traitshave never given birthhave obesitysmoke tobacco or whose parents smoked when they were children
It occurs when a person's immune system mistakes the body's healthy tissues for foreign invaders.
As the immune system responds, inflammation occurs in the target tissue or organ.
In the case of RA, this can be the joints, lungs, eyes, and heart.
Symptoms
Symptoms of RA include:
pain, swelling, and stiffness in more than one jointsymmetrical joint involvementjoint deformityunsteadiness when walkinga general feeling of being unwellfeverloss of function and mobilityweight lossweakness
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the symptoms usually affect the same joints on both sides of the body
Symptoms tend to come and go. During a remission, they can disappear, or they can be mild. However, during a flare, they can be severe.
Causes
Nobody knows what causes the immune system to malfunction.
Some people appear to have genetic factors that make it more likely. One theory is that bacteria or a virus triggers RA in people who have this genetic feature.
In RA, the immune system's antibodies attack the synovium, which is the smooth lining of a joint. When this happens, pain and inflammation result.
Inflammation causes the synovium to thicken. Eventually, if left untreated, it can invade and destroy cartilage — the connective tissue that cushions the ends of the bones.
The tendons and ligaments that hold the joint together can also weaken and stretch. The joint eventually loses its shape and configuration. The damage can be severe.
Risk factors
The CDC note that people with a higher risk of developing RA may include those who:
are aged 60 years or aboveare femalehave specific genetic traitshave never given birthhave obesitysmoke tobacco or whose parents smoked when they were children
Answered by
3
rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease caused by the inflammation of Synovial membrane ...
the Synovial membrane becomes thick and develops granules cold pannus and develop due to the formation of antibodies against Synovial membrane antigens ....
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