Rheumatoid arthritis affects approximately 300,000 Canadians, and twice as many women as men. Although it usually affects people between the ages of 25 and 50, it can develop at any age.

What is rheumatoid arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease that causes the immune system to attack healthy joints. The attack causes inflammation in the lining of the joints and/or other internal organs such as the eyes, lungs, or heart. Although RA can affect any joint, the most common places are the hands and feet.

RA only one of many "auto-immune" diseases. Researchers believe that the inflammation is caused by the immune system’s failure to recognize body tissue as “normal” and attacking it, thereby damaging the joint. Over time, cartilage, bone, tendons and ligaments can become permanently damaged, possibly leading to permanent deformity and disability.

As the condition progresses, joints become warm, swollen, and tender and can eventually grow deformed. RA tends to affect joints symmetrically, which means it is likely that it will cause pain on both sides of the body - in both hands or both feet, for example.

What are the symptoms?
The most common initial signs of RA are:

• Stiffness in the morning or when inactive
• Fatigue and low energy
• Loss of appetite
• Possible fever and weight loss
• Muscle pain
• Joint pain

Conditions with Similar Symptoms
There are over 100 types of arthritis as well as other autoimmune diseases and musculoskeletal disorders with similar symptoms, so it's important to make sure that RA is diagnosed correctly. Additional conditions with similar symptoms include:

• Osteoarthritis
• Lupus
• Lyme disease
• Raynaud's disease
• Osteoporosis
• Pain from an injury

Treatments
The treatment of RA is most commonly directed by a rheumatologist, a doctor who specializes in arthritis, some autoimmune diseases, joint, bone and muscle problems, and osteoporosis.

There is no cure for this type of arthritis. The treatment is merely aimed at alleviating pain and stiffness as well as preventing joint deformity and handicaps. An early and accurate diagnosis is of the essence; the earlier the treatment, the better the chances of preventing deformities and handicaps.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often used in rheumatoid arthritis. They help reduce pain, swelling and stiffness, but they do not contribute to joint injury prevention.

Disease-modifying antirheumatismal drugs (DMARDs) are often used in patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis. Their role is to slow down the course of the disease. Their onset of action is sometimes 2 to 6 months.

Oral cortisone is also prescribed sometimes. Cortisone is a corticosteroid that relieves inflammation and affects the immune system. It may be injected directly into a joint to reduce inflammation.

Biologic drugs belong to a new drug category used when other treatments fail to provide satisfactory results. These drugs block specific proteins involved in the inflammatory process.