Rheumatoid arthritis is a multi system, inflammatory autoimmune disorder that precipitates an attack experienced by the joints. It is a very crippling and painful condition that can lead to loss of mobility, pain and joint devastation.

Rheumatoid arthritis is systemic and also will affect different tissues through the body, skin, blood vessels, lungs, heart and muscles. Rheumatoid arthritis will affect anyone between the ages of 20 and 40 and can start anytime.

A family history is important to the risk. It is 3 times more common in women than in men and up to four times more frequentcommon in smokers than non-smokers.

The symptoms will separate rheumatoid arthritis from other types of arthritis because of the inflammation and soft tissue swelling of many joints at the same time. This is known as polyarthritis. The joints are usually affected asymmetrically and then will go on to the symmetrical part as the disease goes on. It is not like the other forms of arthritis like osteoarthrits because the pain will move with the use of the joints that are affected.

As the disease progresses, the inflammatory activity will lead to the erosion of the joints which will impair their range of movement and lead to some deformity. The fingers and the bones will deviate to the outside and towards the small finger and take on unnatural shapes. Deformities will include the Boutonnire deformity, the swan neck deformity, and the "Z-thumb" deformity.

Because rheumatoid arthritis is a multisystem disease, other disease and conditions may form as a result of it. Many of the people that have rheumatoid arthritis also have anemia. Anemia is a problem of the red blood cells because there are not enough of them and or hemoglobin and this will cause a reduced ability for oxygen to be transported to the tissues.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease and many will suffer from it and splenomegaly or the enlarging of the spleen. Fibrosis may occur in the lungs as a result of different treatments.

There are several markers for diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis. Morning joint stiffness is an example as is soft tissue swelling of more than 3 out of 14 joints or in the joint groups. Arthritis of hand joints like symmetric arthritis, subcutaneous nodules in specific places, a rheumatoid factor at a level above the 95th place and radiological changes that are suggestive of joint erosion are part of the criteria. At least four items on this list have to be met in order to establish a diagnosis.

Treatments rely on disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDS), anti inflammatory agents and analgesics. DMARDS is known to start durable remissions and delay the disease process, prevent bone and joint damage as well. Some have found help from natural arthritis remedies.

Anti inflammatory agents and analgesics can help to improve pain and stiffness but do not stop any damage or slow down the disease in any way.