|
What is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease characterized by:
-morning stiffness
-bilateral joint pain (joint that hurts on 1 side of body also hurts on the other) for more than 2 months that is not attributable to other conditions
-arthritis in 3 or more joints
-positive rheumatoid factor (although not all people with RA have this)
-rheumatoid nodules (not all people with RA have these)
-changes that can be seen on x-rays that indicate erosive damage to cartilage/bone in joints
RA info:
-RA is more common in women than men
-RA can strike at any age (including juvenile RA)
-It is unknown what causes RA
-RA may actually be more than 1 disease and affects people differently
-There is a genetic component to RA for some people
|
