Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a form of arthritis

that causes pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of

function in your joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is

two to three times more common in women than in

men and generally strikes between the ages of 20

and 50. Rheumatoid arthritis is different from

osteoarthritis, the common arthritis that often

comes with older age.

What are the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis? In

some patients with rheumatoid arthritis, chronic

inflammation leads to the destruction of the

cartilage, bone and ligaments causing deformity

of the joints. Unlike osteoarthritis, which

results from wear and tear on your joints,

rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory condition.

Because it can affect multiple other organs of

the body, rheumatoid arthritis is referred to as

a systemic illness and is sometimes called

rheumatoid disease. The symptoms that distinguish

rheumatoid arthritis from other forms of

arthritis are inflammation and soft-tissue

swelling of many joints at the same time. Thus,

the pain of rheumatoid arthritis is usually worse

in the morning compared to the classic pain of

osteoarthritis where the pain worsens over the

day as the joints are used. It is 4 times more

common in smokers than non-smokers. More than two

million people in the United States are affected

by rheumatoid arthritis. This disease is three

times more common in women than in men.

The main physical difference between

osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis is that

with osteoarthritis when the cartilage between

the bone ends has worn thin the pain results from

the bone ends rubbing together. And with

rheumatoid arthritis the cartilage is not thinned

but the fluid filled membrane surrounding the

joint becomes inflamed and the bones can actually

start eroding.

It is suspected that susceptibility to rheumatoid

arthritis is an inherited trait. The exact cause

of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown, but it's

believed to be the body's immune system attacking

the tissue that lines your joints. But rheumatoid

arthritis can also affect young children and

adults older than age 50.

Some of the criteria used to diagnosis rheumatoid

arthritis is morning stiffness of more than one

hour of most mornings for at least six weeks,

arthritis and soft-tissue swelling of at least

three out of fourteen joints and arthritis of the

hand joints.

There is no known cure for rheumatoid arthritis.

Many types of treatments have been used to ease

the symptoms. Some of the more common ones are

acupuncture, apple diet, nutmeg, nettles, prayer,

bee venom and pollen, copper bracelets, rhubarb

diet, rest, honey, fasting, magnets, vitamins and

cortisone therapy.

It is highly recommended to see a doctor as soon

as symptoms flare, to minimize joint

deterioration and pain. A rheumatologist is a

doctor who helps people with problems in the

joints, bones, and muscles. Drugs can be used for

pain relief, to reduce swelling, and to stop the

disease from getting worse.