Rheumatoid Arthritis
Taylor J. Wells-Tucker
NAS 101
Rheumatoid Arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis, also known as RA, is the most common autoimmune arthritis. It affects more than 1.3 million Americans and can affect any person of any age. RA causes stiffness, pain, swelling, and limited function of many joints in the body. While most people know rheumatoid arthritis to only affect the joints of the body, it can sometimes spread to other body systems, earning the classification of a systemic disease. If someone is suspected of having rheumatoid arthritis, they will be sent to a rheumatologist, a doctor who specializes in rheumatic diseases, to be diagnosed. While there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, there are copious resources available to help manage pain, treat symptoms, and deal with the mental and emotional side effects of being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
The Disease Process
Though the exact cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown, doctors and researchers have identified RA as an inflammatory, autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases are caused by the immune system attacking healthy cells, in the case of rheumatoid arthritis these attacks are common in the joins of the wrists, hands, knees, and feet though other body systems have been known to be affected. Recent research has shown that the majority of …show more content…
It is common for people in the same family to have rheumatoid arthritis, suggesting it is passed through genes. Women are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than men, though the reason why is unknown. It is possibly due to the type of genes and hormones carried by women. As stated above any person of any age can develop rheumatoid arthritis, though it is most common in people after the age of 40. When children develop rheumatoid arthritis it is called juvenile idiopathic arthritis and is accompanied with its own set of
Taylor J. Wells-Tucker
NAS 101
Rheumatoid Arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis, also known as RA, is the most common autoimmune arthritis. It affects more than 1.3 million Americans and can affect any person of any age. RA causes stiffness, pain, swelling, and limited function of many joints in the body. While most people know rheumatoid arthritis to only affect the joints of the body, it can sometimes spread to other body systems, earning the classification of a systemic disease. If someone is suspected of having rheumatoid arthritis, they will be sent to a rheumatologist, a doctor who specializes in rheumatic diseases, to be diagnosed. While there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, there are copious resources available to help manage pain, treat symptoms, and deal with the mental and emotional side effects of being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
The Disease Process
Though the exact cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown, doctors and researchers have identified RA as an inflammatory, autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases are caused by the immune system attacking healthy cells, in the case of rheumatoid arthritis these attacks are common in the joins of the wrists, hands, knees, and feet though other body systems have been known to be affected. Recent research has shown that the majority of …show more content…
It is common for people in the same family to have rheumatoid arthritis, suggesting it is passed through genes. Women are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than men, though the reason why is unknown. It is possibly due to the type of genes and hormones carried by women. As stated above any person of any age can develop rheumatoid arthritis, though it is most common in people after the age of 40. When children develop rheumatoid arthritis it is called juvenile idiopathic arthritis and is accompanied with its own set of