Rheumatoid Arthritis
A chronic autoimmune inflammatory disorder that affects the joint lining and can involve other body systems.
Overview
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that can affect more than just your joints. In some people the condition damages a wide variety of body systems, including the skin, eyes, lungs, heart and blood vessels.
Unlike the wear-and-tear damage of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis affects the lining of the joints, causing painful swelling that can eventually result in bone erosion and joint deformity. About 40% of people also experience signs that do not involve the joints.
Periods of increased disease activity, called flares, alternate with periods of relative remission when swelling and pain fade.
Common symptoms
- Tender, warm, swollen joints
- Joint stiffness that is worse in the mornings and after inactivity
- Fatigue, fever and loss of appetite
- Small joints of the fingers and toes affected first, usually symmetrically
- Later spread to wrists, knees, ankles, elbows, hips and shoulders
Prevention & self-care
- Do not skip disease-monitoring blood tests
- Protect joints during flares; resume movement gently after
- Stop smoking — it worsens RA activity
- Track flares in a diary so remedies can be matched to your pattern
When to see a doctor
See a clinician promptly for symmetrical joint swelling with prolonged morning stiffness, or new breathlessness, eye pain or skin nodules.
Book a consultationRelated conditions
Arthritis
An umbrella term for more than 100 joint conditions causing pain, inflammation and stiffness.
Gout
A complex form of arthritis marked by sudden, severe attacks of pain and swelling, most often in the big toe.
Sciatica Pain
Pain travelling along the path of the sciatic nerve, from the lower back through the buttock and down the leg.