RA is also a throw in ofinflammatory arthritis.
Inflammation is how the body responds to defend itself from foreign invaders like bacteria and germs.
In people with RA, the body’s inflammatory response is overactive.
Illustration by Michela Buttignol for Verywell Health
Left unchecked, RA inflammation can lead to severe joint damage, disability, and disease complications.
There isno cure for RA, but the disease is treatable and manageable.
This article will cover rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, causes, treatment, and more.
It occurs after long periods of inactivity and affects one or more joints.
This bang out of stiffness improves with movement and as the joints warm up.
Pain with movement and joint tenderness are additional early symptoms of RA.
If one wrist is affected, the other wrist is also likely to be affected by RA.
Symmetric involvement of the small joints of the hands is expected in RA.
As RA progresses, it is possible to experience inflammation in larger joints, including the knees and hips.
How It Feels
Symptoms of RA will be systemic (whole-body) and symmetric.
They may include:
The pain associated with RA varies from person to person.
Inflammation associated with the condition leads to pain, tenderness, and warmth in and around the affected joints.
Joint stiffness is typical, especially in the morning upon waking and after long periods of inactivity.
Emotional effects of RA include mood swings, depression, sadness, despair, and anxiety.
Disease Progression
RA is a progressive condition that will worsen over time.
What that progression looks like will vary from person to person and depends on multiple factors.
Such factors include:
RA progression is gradual and can take years or even decades.
This progression is classified into stages.
This is because RA leads to whole-body effects that can damage joints and organs and affectlife span.
Many of these are also considered disease complications.
Additional body areas RA can affect are:
RA on its own is usually not fatal.
But complications like those above can shorten a person’s life.
Long-term treatment for RA is crucial in controlling inflammation and minimizing joint damage.
What Is a Rheumatologist?
A rheumatologist is a medical doctor (M.D.)
who specializes in diseases that affect the bones, joints, and muscles.
A rheumatologist can confirm an RA diagnosis and provide a treatment plan.
In addition to medication, your rheumatologist will recommend non-drug therapies to help you manage pain and symptoms.
For example, physical therapy can help keep joints strong and mobile.
An occupational therapist might suggest ways to protect your joints while doing daily tasks.
They can also recommend assistive devices that help avoid stress on your joints.
If you experience RA joint damage, your healthcare provider might recommend surgery to repair or replace damaged joints.
Surgery can reduce pain and improve joint function.
Managing RA Flares
People with RA will experience periods where their disease flares up.
These are times when their symptoms are worse.
Symptoms experienced during a flare include severe joint pain, swelling, stiffness, and fatigue.
Most people can manage flares at home with rest and home remedies.
They can perform a physical exam, request testing, and refer you to a rheumatologist.
RA symptoms can be mistaken for other conditions.
It results from the breakdown of joint cartilage.
OA develops over many years and typically affects older adults.
It does not cause whole-body symptoms like fatigue and fever.
the way RA traditionally does.
Your healthcare provider can provide acounselingreferral.
Self-care andlifestyle changescan help to reduce the physical and emotional effects of RA.
These attacks lead to significant inflammation in the joints, organs, and other body tissues.
RA often starts in the small joints of the hands and feet but can also affect larger joints.
RA is manageable and treatable but currently has no cure.
Early diagnosis and the right treatments can reduce pain and other disease symptoms and prevent joint damage and disability.
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