Rheumatoid arthritis is a painful and debilitating disease.
It affects the bodies and joints it has have a severe impact on the quality of people's life.
Doctors are still not sure what causes this but they do know that it is an autoimmune disease.
The immune system defends the body from intruders but people have autoimmune disease when the bodies immune system malfunctions.
People with Rheumatoid Arthritis have their immune system turn on itself.
Doctors do not understand why but the healthy parts of the body come under attack by it's own defence system.
The faulty immune system targets the joints of the body and starts off at the hands and feet.
As it progresses it slowly destroys the cartilage at these joints.
These joints are made up of several parts.
The cartilage allows the bones to move against each other which allows the joints to move.
There are also ligaments which hold the bones in place.
Over time people with this disease can get stiffness and loss of mobility.
Rheumatoid Arthritis can vary in acuteness.
Some people feel only the stiffness.
The disease can also develop further and 1 in 10 sufferers of the disease get cartilage and bone decay.
If untreated they can get permanent disfigurement.
Causes of the disease are still unclear but knowing the treatment options can help you live with this disease.
In some cases when the disease has progressed then surgery may be an option.
The most common surgery is joint replacement and is reserved for hips and knees.
It affects the bodies and joints it has have a severe impact on the quality of people's life.
Doctors are still not sure what causes this but they do know that it is an autoimmune disease.
The immune system defends the body from intruders but people have autoimmune disease when the bodies immune system malfunctions.
People with Rheumatoid Arthritis have their immune system turn on itself.
Doctors do not understand why but the healthy parts of the body come under attack by it's own defence system.
The faulty immune system targets the joints of the body and starts off at the hands and feet.
As it progresses it slowly destroys the cartilage at these joints.
These joints are made up of several parts.
The cartilage allows the bones to move against each other which allows the joints to move.
There are also ligaments which hold the bones in place.
Over time people with this disease can get stiffness and loss of mobility.
Rheumatoid Arthritis can vary in acuteness.
Some people feel only the stiffness.
The disease can also develop further and 1 in 10 sufferers of the disease get cartilage and bone decay.
If untreated they can get permanent disfigurement.
Causes of the disease are still unclear but knowing the treatment options can help you live with this disease.
In some cases when the disease has progressed then surgery may be an option.
The most common surgery is joint replacement and is reserved for hips and knees.