What’s Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Most people assume “arthritis” means wear and tear on the joints (which many older people do have), however that’s termed osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that can cause joint pain and damage throughout your body. Sometimes the immune system becomes too active, and mistakenly attacks your body, and this is called ‘autoimmune’ disease. When you have RA, your immune system attacks the lining of your joints (the synovial lining). This causes inflammation, which leads to symptoms such as pain and stiffness. RA is a systemic disease, meaning that it doesn’t just affect joints. RA can affect a person’s whole system, including organs such as the lungs, heart and eyes. While it is not considered heriditary it does appear to run in families and it affects more women than men. The joint damage that RA causes usually happens on both sides of your body. So if a joint is affected in one of your arms or legs, the same joint in the other arm or leg will probably be affected, too. This is one way that doctors distinguish RA from other forms of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis (OA).
What causes RA?
The cause of RA is unknown, but certain risk factors have been identified. You may be at increased risk if:
- you are a woman
- you have a family history of RA
- have been exposed to certain types of bacteria, such as those associated with periodontal disease
- you have a history of viral infections like infection with the Epstein-Barr virus, which causes mononucleosis
- you had trauma or injury, such as bone breakage or fracture, dislocation of a joint, and ligament damage
- you smoke
- you are obese
Symptoms
Types of RA include:
- Seropositive RA: This means you have the antibodies that cause your immune system to attack your joints.
- Seronegative RA: There are symptoms but you test negative for antibodies that cause your immune system to attack your joints. You may eventually develop antibodies, changing your diagnosis to seropositive RA.
- JIA (juvenile idiopathic arthritis): Juvenile idiopathic arthritis refers to RA in people younger than 17 years of age. The condition was previously known as JRA (juvenile rheumatoid arthritis). The symptoms are the same as other types of RA, but they may also include eye inflammation and physical development issues.
Seropositive RA is the most common type of RA. This type of arthritis may run in families. Seropositive RA may come with more severe symptoms than seronegative RA and may include: