About RA

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, long-term disease, and it takes a tough person to manage it. Symptoms like pain and stiffness can be overwhelming, and you may find it hard to cope at times. Working with your doctor to find the right treatment is a good first step to managing RA, along with a healthy lifestyle that works for you. It may also help to learn all you can about the condition.

Understanding what happens in RA

Rheumatoid arthritis occurs because the body's immune system doesn't work the way it should. Most people associate the immune system with fighting infections. In people with RA, the immune system fights infections, but it also attacks the body. This is why RA is called an autoimmune disease.

Signs and symptoms

When the immune system attacks the body as it does in RA, it leads to inflammation in the joints. This inflammation then results in the common symptoms that people with RA experience — including pain, stiffness, warmth, redness, tenderness and swelling in the joints.

The symptoms of RA will vary depending on the severity of your disease. In addition, joint symptoms typically happen symmetrically. In other words, if you feel pain in your left hand, you'll feel pain in the same place in your right hand.

Over time, RA can progress. That's why it's important to talk to your rheumatologist about all aspects of your condition, or if you think your current treatment may not be providing enough relief from RA.

Next: RA and the Immune System

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