Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which there is an aggression against the synovial tissue, resulting in inflammation of multiple joints. It occurs especially in the hands and feet, and causes progressive deterioration and ultimately disability.
The disease has a genetic basis. What still remains unknown to this day is that, despite the existence of a familial aggregation of cases, it is activated in some patients but not in others. We can therefore state that there is a population susceptible to developing it but we do not know what causes some patients to develop it and not all of them.
Symptoms
Pain and inflammation of the joints are the most characteristic symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. They can be located primarily in the hands and feet, although they can generally affect any joint. The symptoms are more manifest first thing in the morning, after the night’s rest, and these can exist in other organs and tissues although they are not common at the beginning of the disease.
Treatment
We can stop rheumatoid arthritis although we cannot cure it. Early diagnosis is vital, as early treatments are extraordinarily effective. The objective is to completely stop the inflammatory activity by means of the so-called DMARDs, and thus avoid joint deterioration. We could say that today the future of patients affected by rheumatoid arthritis is very well guaranteed.
If not treated in time, the patient will suffer a deterioration of his joints and a progressive disability. If not adequately controlled, the disease can seriously affect the patient’s general health in the long term. In special cases, the new treatments called biologics make it possible to refer cases that escape conventional DMARD treatments.