What is Rheumatoid Arthritis – What is Rheumatoid Arthritis?

You may be asking, “What is rheumatoid arthritis?” Also known as, RA, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that attacks various parts of the body. To understand “what is rheumatoid arthritis,” you need to understand what causes it. Like other autoimmune disorders, with RA, the body’s immune system starts attacking the human body for an unknown reason. In the case of RA, the immune system begins to attack the thin membrane, called the synovium, which lines joints. As the immune system goes on the attack, the synovium begins to swell and become inflamed. Because this is a chronic disease, the swelling often never goes down. Understanding “what is rheumatoid arthritis” will help you manage it.

In order to recognize “what is rheumatoid arthritis,” you need to understand potential causes. First off, there are no clear causes. Nevertheless, there is a ton of evidence to give scientists clues as to “what is rheumatoid arthritis.” Some people seem to have a genetic propensity to RA. Another indicator is that smoking seems to aggravate the disease and potentially cause flare-ups. Certain infections may trigger the onset of RA. These could include the Epstein-Barr virus, Human Herpes Virus 6, Mycoplasma, rubella, and parvovirus B19. Research is ongoing to understand “what is rheumatoid arthritis.”

Another way to define “what is rheumatoid arthritis” is to look at the symptoms. An obvious symptom is swollen synovial joints. This swelling causes pain and stiffness especially in early mornings or after heavy activity. That is likely the most obvious thing that people use to define “what is rheumatoid arthritis.” However, more symptoms are common to this disease. During active flare-ups, people can have fatigue, loss of appetite, low grade fever, and morning stiffness. Other rarer symptoms that define “what is rheumatoid arthritis” include rheumatoid nodules, lung fibrosis, renal amyloidosis, and atherosclerosis.

What else do you need to know to understand “what is rheumatoid arthritis?” There is no cure for RA. However, doctors are learning how to treat and manage the symptoms. Early treatment offers patients less chance of having destruction of joint tissues. That helps alleviate future problems. To understand “what is rheumatoid arthritis,” you need to understand the mortality prognosis. The chronic inflammation seems to shorten human life by five to ten years. There is a higher risk of heart conditions. The chronic inflammation seems to have an adverse effect on heart health. This is a brief summary of “what is rheumatoid arthritis.”