Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Explained
What is RA?
Arthritis is a condition that causes inflammation of the joints. Two types of arthritis are osteoarthritis (OA) and RA. OA, the more common type, affecting 1 in 10 Canadians, and the one most people think of when they hear the term "arthritis," affects mainly the joints and bones. RA, however, can affect many more parts of the body. If it is not treated early, RA has the potential to result in serious joint damage. RA may come on suddenly or appear slowly over time. Its symptoms may include pain, swelling, stiffness in the joints, joint heat, and nodules or lumps under your skin, and fatigue associated with the above symptoms. How quickly RA progresses and how severe it is differs from person to person.
RA is a disease of the immune system. In RA, the immune system attacks the body's own healthy cells, mistaking them for cells that don't normally belong to the body. This causes inflammation in the lining and connective tissues of the joints.
Who gets RA?
RA affects approximately 1 in 100 Canadians. Generally, it affects about twice as many women as men. Although RA can develop in childhood, in most cases it develops between the ages of 25 and 50. RA itself is not inherited. What can be inherited are the genes that may make someone more likely to develop the disease, including those genes that control your immune system. Although scientists believe it is unlikely that genes alone bring about RA, research continues to discover just what part genes may play in the development of the condition.
Other factors (such as infection, hormones, and environment), together with genetics, are also being studied in the search for a clearer picture of the connection between family history and RA.
Why is it critical to treat RA early?
The Canadian Rheumatology Association includes as goals and treatments, relief from the inflammation of RA, thereby alleviating pain, and, importantly inhibiting the progression of joint damage. You can help achieve these goals by becoming your own best advocate – by acquiring knowledge of how to control the pain and even modify the course of the disease. You can do this by making lifestyle changes such as losing weight, exercising, changing your diet, limiting activities that can cause stress on your joints, and most importantly by seeking medical help and taking medication that is suitable for you.
Because RA is a progressive disease, once the damage begins it does not stop, and becomes worse over time. Diagnosing and treating RA early can help keep the disease under control.
- RA joint damage can be progressive. Studies have shown that patients have a higher than 70% chance of developing joint damage within 2 years from the time the disease starts. Starting treatment early may help limit progression of joint damage.
- ENBREL can help block the progression of joint damage.
