Learn more about rheumatoid arthritis and how INTEGRIS Health can partner with you to help treat and manage this condition.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects more than just your joints. As an autoimmune disorder, rheumatoid arthritis occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body's tissues.
Signs and Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis | Causes of Rheumatoid Arthritis | Complications from Rheumatoid Arthritis | Diagnosing Rheumatoid Arthritis | Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatments
Uncontrolled inflammation can damage cartilage which is needed to absorb shock and stress on your joints. Once the cartilage is gone, your bones will begin to erode and lead to fusing together as a way to prevent constant irritation.
In some cases, people can experience damage to other parts of their body.
Rheumatoid arthritis can also affect the following:
The most common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are joint pain and stiffness. Patients often experience the worst of these symptoms in the morning and after sitting for a long period of time. Stiffness tends to go away after movement.
Symptoms typically fluctuate as they come and go and range in severity.
Other symptoms include:
Early signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis often affect smaller joints first, such as the joints that attach your fingers to your hands and toes to your feet.
As the disease continues, symptoms will often spread to other parts of the body, including:
Often, you'll experience symptoms in the same joint on both sides of the body.
Roughly 40% of people who have rheumatoid arthritis will experience additional symptoms in non-joint areas.
These areas include the following:
People with rheumatoid arthritis will experience symptoms that range in severity and usually come and go. Periods of increased disease activity are called flares and alternate with periods of relative remission which is when the swelling and pain fade or disappear. Over time, rheumatoid arthritis can cause joints to deform and shift out of place.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. In a healthy body, your immune system helps protect your body against infections and diseases. In rheumatoid arthritis, your own immune system attacks the healthy tissue in your joints. The disease can also spread from your joints and affect your heart, lungs, nerves, eyes and skin.
Doctors don't know what starts this disease from happening, but they believe a genetic component is involved. Genes don't cause rheumatoid arthritis; however, they can make them more likely to react to environmental factors. It's possible to contract an infection with certain viruses and bacteria which can trigger the disease.
There are several factors that can heighten your risk of rheumatoid arthritis.
They include the following:
Rheumatoid arthritis can also increase your risk of developing the following:
Rheumatoid arthritis is difficult to diagnose in its early stages because the signs and symptoms often replicate those of similar diseases. There isn't a singular blood test or physical finding that can confirm the diagnosis.
During a physical exam, your doctor will check your joints for swelling, redness and warmth. They may also check your reflexes and muscle strength to determine joint mobility.
People with rheumatoid arthritis often have an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate or C-reactive protein level. These may indicate to your doctor the presence of an inflammatory process in the body. Other common blood tests look for rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies.
Your doctor may also recommend X-rays to help track the development of rheumatoid arthritis in your joints over time. An MRI and ultrasound tests can help your doctor judge the severity of the disease in your body.
At the moment, there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis. However, your symptoms are more likely to enter remission when treatment begins early with the help of medications such as disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs).
Depending on the severity of your symptoms and condition history, your doctor may recommend the following medications.
Your doctor may also refer you to a physical or occupational therapist. There, they'll be able to teach you exercises to help your joints be flexible and maintain mobility. Therapists can also provide new ways of handling daily tasks to reduce the stress on your joints.
Your doctor may recommend a surgical procedure if your medications fail to prevent or slow joint damage. Surgery may help improve joint mobility and help reduce pain.
Rheumatoid arthritis surgery may include one or more of the following procedures:
Our physicians use a multidisciplinary approach to treat the complex symptoms of individuals living with lupus and rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's syndrome and scleroderma. We strive to provide complete care, including management of related secondary conditions frequently associated with autoimmune diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes.