The human body is an incredibly complex machine. Most of the time, all the parts work correctly, with various gears and components clicking in harmony. But occasionally, something gets out of whack. When this happens, the guardian of the machine – the immune system – can get turned around and begin attacking the body it usually protects. This is what happens in an autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis, an inflammatory disease that affects the joints.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that “arthritis means inflammation or swelling of one or more joints. It describes more than 100 conditions that affect the joints, tissues around the joint and other connective tissues. Specific symptoms vary depending on the type of arthritis, but usually include joint pain and stiffness.”
Arthritis is one of the most common ailments in America. According to the CDC, more than 54 million adults in the United States – about 25 percent of all adults – have arthritis. In addition, about 300,000 children also have some form of arthritis. About 24 million people are disabled by their arthritis, making it the leading cause of disability in the U.S.
The most common form of arthritis in adults is osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative arthritis. It develops as a person ages and gets progressively worse over time. “When the cartilage – the slick, cushioning surface on the ends of bones – wears away, bone rubs against bone, causing pain, swelling and stiffness. Over time, joints can lose strength and pain may become chronic,” the Arthritis Foundation reports.
Rheumatoid arthritis is unrelated to osteoarthritis, but it’s the third most common form of arthritis in America, affecting about 1.5 million people. “It’s an incredibly serious disease,” says Dr. John J. Cush, a rheumatologist and the director of clinical rheumatology for the Baylor Scott & White Research Institute and professor of medicine and rheumatology at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.
Rheumatoid arthritis can develop at any time, but it most often develops in middle aged women. Several signs and symptoms could indicate that you’ve developed rheumatoid arthritis:
- Pain, redness or swelling in one or more joints throughout the body (although symptoms usually are symmetrical).
- Fever.
- Fatigue.
- Joint stiffness and pain in the morning that loosens up as you move more.
- Numbness or tingling in the extremities.
- Decreased range of motion.
- Joint deformity.
Like other types of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis causes pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints. But many patients with rheumatoid arthritis have symptoms on both sides of the body. This symmetry is a hallmark of RA that doesn’t typically happen in other types of arthritis. RA also tends to affect more joints at once than other types of arthritis.