| Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that | | | | develop under the skin, often over bony areas. |
| causes chronic inflammation of the joints. RA is a | | | | Treatments for arthritis have improved in recent years. |
| systemic disease, often affecting extra-articular tissues | | | | Corticosteroids. These medications, such as |
| throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, | | | | prednisone and methylprednisolone (Medrol), reduce |
| heart, lungs, and muscles. Rheumatoid arthritis can also | | | | inflammation and pain, and slow joint damage. |
| cause inflammation of the tissue around the joints, as | | | | Medications used to control RA fall into two |
| well as other organs in the body. | | | | categories: those that relieve symptoms and those |
| Rheumatoid arthritis is two to three times more | | | | that have the potential to modify the course of the |
| common in women than in men and generally strikes | | | | disease. Exercise is also an important part of a |
| between the ages of 20 and 50. But rheumatoid | | | | treatment program. Immunosuppressants medications |
| arthritis can also affect young children and adults older | | | | act to tame your immune system, which is out of |
| than age 50. About 60% of RA patients are unable to | | | | control in rheumatoid arthritis. |
| work 10 years after the onset of their disease. | | | | Some of the commonly used immunosuppressants |
| Rheumatoid arthritis is a common rheumatic disease, | | | | include leflunomide (Arava), azathioprine (Imuran), |
| affecting more than two million people in the United | | | | cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune) and |
| States. The disease is three times more common in | | | | cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan). These medications can |
| women as in men. It afflicts people of all races equally. | | | | have potentially serious side effects such as increased |
| RA can affect any joint, but the most common places | | | | susceptibility to infection. Rituximab-Rituximab reduces |
| are the hands or feet. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) | | | | the number of B cells in your body. B cells are involved |
| causes redness, pain, swelling or a hot (or warm) | | | | in inflammation. The most common antidepressants |
| feeling in the lining of a joint, the place where 2 or more | | | | used for arthritis pain and nonrestorative sleep are |
| bones come together. Worldwide, about 1% of people | | | | amitriptyline, nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor) and |
| are believed to have rheumatoid arthritis, but the rate | | | | trazodone (Desyrel). |
| varies among different groups of people. | | | | Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment Tips |
| Rheumatoid arthritis is different from osteoarthritis, the | | | | 1. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such |
| common arthritis that often comes with older age. | | | | as ibuprofen (Motrin and others), naproxen (Naprosyn, |
| Rheumatoid arthritis is rarely associated with | | | | Aleve), celecoxib (Celebrex) and many others. |
| pyoderma gangrenosum, a necrotizing, ulcerative, | | | | 2. Light exercise may be beneficial for improving blood |
| noninfectious neutrophilic dermatosis. RA can affect | | | | circulation to joints. |
| body parts besides joints, such as your eyes, mouth | | | | 3. Various anti-cytokine medications are now being |
| and lungs. RA is an autoimmune disease, which means | | | | used to treat painful disease states such as |
| the arthritis results from your immune system attacking | | | | Rheumatoid Arthritis. |
| your body's own tissues. | | | | 4. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is a |
| Rheumatoid arthritis most often affects the smaller | | | | type of medicine that reduces pain and swelling. |
| joints, such as those of the hands and/or feet, wrists, | | | | 5. Severely affected joints may require joint |
| elbows, knees, and/or ankles. RA may start gradually | | | | replacement surgery, such as knee replacement. |
| or with a sudden, severe attack with flu-like symptoms. | | | | 6. Corticosteroids are man-made drugs that closely |
| It's important to remember that RA symptoms vary | | | | resemble cortisone, a hormone natural produced by |
| from person to person. In some people the disease will | | | | the body. |
| be mild with periods of activity or joint inflammation and | | | | 7. Immunosuppressants medications act to tame your |
| inactivity. Along with painful, inflamed joints, RA can | | | | immune system, which is out of control in rheumatoid |
| cause inflammation in other body tissues and organs. In | | | | arthritis. |
| 20% of cases, lumps called rheumatoid nodules | | | | |