rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a form of arthritis that causes pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of function in your joints.
Signs & Symptoms
These following joint symptoms are clues to RA:
Risk Factors
Rheumatoid arthritis increases your risk of developing:
Communicable / Non-communicable
Non-communicable
Signs & Symptoms
These following joint symptoms are clues to RA:
- Joint pain, tenderness, swelling or stiffness for six weeks or longer
- Morning body stiffness for 30 minutes or longer
- More than one joint is affected
- Small joints (wrists, certain joints of the hands and feet) are affected
- The same joints on both sides of the body are affected
- Pain
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Low-grade fever
- Symptoms and effects of RA may come and go
- A period of high disease activity (increases in inflammation and other symptoms) is called a flare.
- A flare can last for days or months
- Eye problems
- Dryness
- pain
- redness
- sensitivity to light in your eyes
- impaired vision
- Mouth problems
- Dryness
- gum irritation
- mouth infections
- Rheumatoid nodules – small lumps under the skin over bony areas
- Shortness of breath (due to lung inflammation and scarring)
- Inflammation of blood vessels that can lead to damage in the nerves, skin and other organs
- Anemia, a lower than normal number of red blood cells
Risk Factors
- Genetic Factors.
- certain genes that may play a small role in the development of RA
- Environmental Factors. These include:
- Bacteria and viruses
- Exposure to secondhand smoke
- Air pollution
- Insecticides
- Mineral oils
- Silica mineral (found in obsidian, granite, diorite, and sandstone)
- Gender: The disease is far more common in women
- Age. Typically presents in those between 40-60.
- family history of rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis increases your risk of developing:
- Increased risk of osteoporosis
- weakens bones
- more prone to fractured bones
- weakens bones
- Firm bumps (nodules) around pressure points such as elbows
- Nodules can form anywhere in the body, including the lungs
- Sjorgren's symdrome which decreases moisture in eyes and mouth
- impaired immune system, which leads to increased infections
- Increased risk of hardenened and blocked arteries
- Scarring of lung tissue
- shortness of breath
- Increased risk of lymphoma (blood cancers)
Communicable / Non-communicable
Non-communicable