A brief overview of rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that affects the body’s immune system and, hence, it is called an autoimmune disease. The system protects the health by attacking viruses and bacteria but in this case, starts to attack the joints. This leads to the tissue inside the joint starts to thicken, which leads to pain and swelling around the joints. It makes the fluid that lubricates the inside of the joints helping them run smoothly. Unchecked inflammation can damage the cartilage, which is the elastic tissue that covers the end of bones in a joint and also the bones. Over time, it can lead to the loss of cartilage, the space between the bones start to become smaller. The joints become painful, making mobility difficult and the joints can become loose. It can also lead to the joints becoming deformed. This cannot be reversed but it needs to be brought under control with aggressive treatment. It affects the joints in the ankles, knees, elbows, wrists, feet, and hands. When the joints are affected it can also affect the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Around 1.5 million people in the country are affected and in these numbers, women are affected nearly three times more than men between the ages of 30 to 60.