About Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease that most commonly affects the joints, but can sometimes also cause damage to other organs.
In its mild form, it may cause no more than minor discomfort but in its most serious form, it causes painful, badly damaged joints.
Most commonly, RA first develops between the ages of 25 and 50 but it is can also start later in life, and there is a similar form of arthritis that affects children.
RA is an ‘auto-immune’ disease, that is, a disease where a person’s immune system attacks his or her own body tissues. This auto-immune reaction causes inflammation of the joints, particularly of the synovial membrane which lines them. There is an over-production of synovial (joint) fluid and this, combined with the inflammation, causes joints to become swollen and painful.
Symptoms include:
- Pain and aching in and around joints, particularly the hands, feet and knees
- Joints on both sides of the body are usually affected equally
- Joint stiffness, most noticeably in the morning
- Swelling of joints, particularly in the hands, feet and knees
- Persistent fatigue and generally feeling ‘rundown’
- Muscle weakness associated with stiff joints and decreased physical activity
- Inability to sleep well at nights due to painful joints
We are currently investigating the disease further to determine the exact causes and find ways to improve treatments.
Useful links:
Arthritis Victoria: www.arthritisvic.org.au
Arthritis UK: www.arthritiscare.org.uk
Arthritis USA: www.arthritis.org
National Institute for Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin: www.nih.gov/niams
Medlineplus: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus
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