Arthritis is the general term which means inflammation of the joints. The inflammation is characterized by stiffness, pain, redness, and swelling of the affected area. Rheumatoid arthritis is a type of arthritis that is classified as an autoimmune disease that affects the joints on both sides of the body this symmetry distinguishes this disease from other forms of arthritis.

This kind of arthritis affects 1 percent of the U.S population, which affects mostly women; however, men tend to be severely affected when they get this disease. The disease can manifest on any person between 25 and 50 years of age. It can progress rapidly, and on others, they experience it on a transient level and enter a period of remission.

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Multiple studies have demonstrated that early aggressive management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is beneficial.

What many patients don’t understand is why this is so important. Beyond the pain, stiffness, and inability to perform activities of daily living, moist patients aren’t aware of the other insidious dangers that rheumatoid arthritis- if not optimally managed- poses.

The very substances- called cytokines- that promote the chronic inflammation of joints are also responsible for more serious problems affecting internal organs. Examples of some of these cytokines are TNF-alpha, interleukin-1 (IL-1), and IL-6.

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Rheumatoid Arthritis, also known as “RA” is a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack the joints. It is a disabling and painful inflammatory condition, which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and muscles.

The symptoms that distinguish Rheumatoid Arthritis from other forms of arthritis are inflammation and soft-tissue swelling of many joints at the same time, also known as polyarthritis. The joints are usually affected initially asymmetrically and then in a symmetrical fashion as the disease progresses. The pain generally improves with use of the affected joints, and there is usually stiffness of all joints in the morning that lasts over 1 hour. Thus, the pain of rheumatoid arthritis is usually worse in the morning compared to the classic pain of osteoarthritis where the pain worsens over the day as the joints are used.

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It’s no fun getting a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. But perhaps you haven’t yet received the diagnosis. Perhaps you are afraid of ever getting rheumatoid arthritis. There are a lot of illnesses and aliments that abound in life that can cause a great amount of pain. One of the most common conditions that most human beings are sentenced to is some form of arthritis. Even children can get juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

Prevention

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