Rheumatoid Arthritis: Causes, Risk Factors, Signs, Symptoms, and Complications

How Do You Get Rheumatoid Arthritis? Before we get into the causes of rheumatoid arthritis, it’s important to first understand what it is. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes joint inflammation and eventual damage to tissue and bone, particularly in the fingers, toes, wrists, knees and elbows. While this article will focus on RA in adults, it’s important to know that children can develop RA too—and in rare cases as young as six months old!

What is rheumatoid arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease in which the body's own immune system attacks the lining of the joints. It can occur at any age but most often develops between 30-50 years old. The risk factors for RA are not well understood. We do know that a person's genes play a role. A person who has a family history of RA or another autoimmune disease has an increased chance to develop RA as well. 

There are three main symptoms of RA: joint pain, morning stiffness lasting more than one hour, and joint deformity like fingers curving inward. Joints typically hurt when they are moved or touched. They may feel warm to touch and be swollen or tender to the point that simple tasks like opening a door become difficult.

General risk factors for RA

In general, the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis increases with age. In addition, both women and men are more likely to be diagnosed with RA than women. 

People who have a family history of RA are also at higher risk for developing this condition. The exact cause of RA is not fully understood but it's thought that both genetic and environmental factors may be at play.

Specific RA risk factors

There are many factors that put a person at risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis. Some of these include having a family history of rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or scleroderma. In addition to this, RA can be caused by other autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes and celiac disease.

 The age group most likely to develop RA is the 40-50 year old range. 

Other risk factors include smoking or being exposed to smoke while pregnant; having a chronic illness such as HIV/AIDS; living in a damp climate; experiencing an infection; or taking certain medications such as steroids, some antibiotics or chemotherapy drugs.

Recognizing signs and symptoms of RA in yourself or loved ones

 The signs and symptoms can vary greatly depending on which joints are affected. 

For example, if your knuckles are inflamed, you might experience pain when you move them or when they touch each other. If your wrists are affected, you might experience stiffness when you flex your hands or wrists.

 Other common symptoms include morning stiffness, joint tenderness to the touch, fatigue and low-grade fever. These are usually intermittent but tend to worsen with stress or if the patient has been inactive for an extended period of time.

If there is swelling in one of your fingers it's possible that this could be a sign of RA as well.

Understanding potential complications of RA

Complications of RA are a serious concern because they can significantly worsen the quality of life for those affected. 

The American College of Rheumatology lists numerous potential complications that can result from living with RA. These can range in severity from mild to severe and may include

 cognitive impairment,

 osteoporosis, 

arthritis in other joints besides the hands and feet (enthesitis),

 eye problems (scleritis),

 skin problems (psoriasis or dermatitis), 

lung problems (pleurisy),

 liver disease (primary sclerosing cholangitis), 

kidney disease (glomerulonephritis) or heart disease. 

Other diseases such as pneumonia or blood clots may also arise due to reduced immune function.