Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is characterized as an autoimmune disorder that strikes the joints. Like other autoimmune diseases, RA causes the body’s immune system to attack itself with its own natural antibodies, which mistake healthy joint tissues as a foreign invaders, and launch an attack on the joint cells. RA attacks gradually break down healthy joint tissues, leaving patients with chronic pain and permanent disability, if the disease is left untreated.
According to research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, roughly 1.5 million Americans are currently diagnosed with RA. While most cases of RA present in younger individuals, the risk of developing the disease increase between the ages of 40- and 74-years of age.
Every RA patient experiences symptoms differently. For instance, mild RA can cause painful inflammation of the joints and decrease mobility, while severe RA makes any joint movement extremely painful, and can even affect a patient’s bones, heart, liver, lungs, lymph system, and skin. Here are the most common signs of RA:
1. Joint inflammation
Medical experts claim that rheumatoid arthritis is diagnosed when chronic inflammation exist in five or more joints. This swelling tends to take up residence first in smaller joints (i.e., toes and fingers) and moving into larger joints as the disease progresses.
2. Joint pain
Pain often accompanies joint inflammation in the early stages of RA. Again, taking up in smaller joints and eventually progressing to larger joints (i.e., shoulders, knees, wrists, ankles).
3. Mobility issues
The progressive nature of RA is wrought with pain and inflammation, as well as joint tissue damage, which eventually leads to short-term then long-term mobility issues in the affected joints.
4. Joint deformity
RA patients are especially prone to deformity in the joints of the hands and feet. In the hands, the fingers can become deviated and take on a “swan neck” in shape.
5. Rheumatoid nodules
Rheumatoid nodules tend to develop in cyst-like lumps of tissue as RA worsens. These nodules tend to develop around pressure points (i.e., knees and elbows), however, they can also develop in an RA patient’s lungs, causing breathing difficulties.
6. Dry mouth and eyes
Chronic dryness of the eyes and mouth is common to patients with an existing autoimmune disease, like rheumatoid arthritis. This extreme dryness of the eyes and mouth is termed “Secondary Sjögren’s Syndrome”.
7. Cardiovascular issues
As RA progresses, the cardiovascular risks tend to increase. For instance, untreated or improperly managed RA can lead to several heart health issues, including arterial hardening and blockages, which can cause heart disease. RA patients are also prone to liver damage, lymphoma, and scarring and inflammation of lungs.
