Rheumatoid Arthritis - An Overview Of This Debilitating Disease

Often people want to know what rheumatoid arthritis is. The answer is that it is an auto immune disease that causes inflammation in tissues of the joints and different organs such as lungs and eyes. Due to this inflammation hands, feet and wrists become deformed. People who suffer from this disease have also problems in their immune system. Actually it is their body's system that attacks the tissues considering them as foreign bodies. In short, the body creates and targets the anti bodies.

It is one of the chronic diseases that stays inside the human body, and is never completely cured. There are many who are living with the disease without knowing that they are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. They even spend years in this state, and with the passage of time it becomes progressive and affects the joints, and causes functional disabilities, making the it most apparent to the sufferer.

The actual reason and cause of this disease are not known, and research is still being conducted to find the cause. Fungi, bacteria and viruses have been suspected, but there is no proof. It is believed that rheumatoid arthritis can be inherited. But many environmental factors can trigger the disease. For example, smoking can increase the symptoms of this disease. The symptoms can become active for a limited time period, and often becomes inactive. When the disease is active the joints become swollen.

The reason why the disease is triggered is not known. In fact, the immune cells known as lymphocytes are triggered, and cytokines or chemical messengers cause inflammation of the joints. When the disease is inactive people feel well. The course of treatment varies, depending on symptoms, from person to person. During the time when disease is active the patient feels fatigue, fever, loss of energy, loss of appetite, stiffness and ache in muscle and joints. Stiffness of muscles and joints is noticed in the morning and after the inactivity period.

The joints become red, tender, swollen and painful. It occurs due to the inflammation of the lining tissue of the joints. The small joints in the wrists and hands are also affected. People find it difficult to perform daily tasks such as opening door knobs and jars. They often find it difficult to walk when they get up in the morning. Patients with this disease are suggested to take some precautionary measures to reduce the pain of muscles and joints.