Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease that affects the joints of a person’s body like in the feet, knees, and fingers. It is an auto immune disease which means that the immune system of the body attacks its own tissues by mistake. This causes inflammation and pain in the joints of the person. There is no known cure for RA and the treatments aim towards maximizing joint functions and preventing any deformations from being occurring.
There are different types of arthritis and RA is just one among them which has to be treated in a separate way because all these diseases are different in nature from one another. There are many myths that surround RA which often leads people to jump into wrong conclusions which can affect the patient badly. Hence, it is important that people are well-informed about RA.
It’s an age related disorder
It is a common belief that RA is a disease that affects the elderly. Even though majority of the people suffering from this disease are above 55, in the cases of both men and women, there are cases in which people even below the age of 20 have been diagnosed with RA.
It’s similar to osteoarthritis
Even though both of these diseases sound similar, Rheumatoid Arthritis and osteoarthritis are two very different diseases. Osteoarthritis is an age related disease which is caused by the wear and tear of the joints throughout the years whereas, RA is an auto-immune disorder that is caused when the immune system of the body attacks its own tissues by mistake causing inflammation in the joints. Unlike osteoarthritis, RA is not an age related disease and it can affect anyone anytime.
It’s almost impossible to get rid of the pain
Even though there is no known cure for RA, the pain and seriousness of the disease can be treated. The treatment of RA is different in different patients. With the advancements in the field of medicine and technology, people suffering from RA can now ease their difficulties. The disease can be brought down to low activity from high activity with the help of right medication.
RA is caused by lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits
RA is an auto immune disease which can be caused due to hereditary, but it is a myth that RA can occur in your body because of lack of exercise, unhealthy eating habits, and other lifestyle related issues.