Abstract

MANAGEMENT OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: AN OVERVIEW

Abstract

The word arthritis means inflammation of the joint (“arthr” meaning joint and “itis” meaning inflammation). Inflammation is a medical term describing pain, stiffness,redness and swelling. There are more than 100 types of arthritis. Some are caused by joint inflammation, while others are caused by progressive bone and joint damage. The major complaint by individuals who have arthritis is joint pain. Pain is often a constant and may be localized to the joint affected. The pain from arthritis is due to inflammation that occurs around the joint, damage to the joint from disease, daily wear and tear of joint, muscle strains caused by forceful movements against stiff painful joints and fatiguein the majority of cases arthritis causes pain and swelling in the joints.eventually a swollen joint can suffer severe damage. in some cases, arthritis can cause problems in the patient's eye, skin or other organs. Arthritis is not a single disease ,it is a term that covers over 100 medical conditions. Osteoarthritis (oa) is the most common form of arthritis and generally affects elderly patients. some forms of arthritis can affect people at a very early age. rthritis affects the musculoskeletal system, specifically the joints. It is the main cause of disability among people over fifty-five years of age in industrialized countries. Rheumatoid arthritis is characterised by persistent synovitis, systemic infl ammation, and autoantibodies (particularly to rheumatoid factor and citrullinated peptide). 50% of the risk for development of rheumatoid arthritis is attributable to genetic factors. Smoking is the main environmental risk. In industrialised countries, rheumatoid arthritis aff ects 0·5–1·0% of adults, with 5–50 per 100 000 new cases annually. The disorder is most typical in women and elderly people. Uncontrolled active rheumatoid arthritis causes joint damage, disability,decreased quality of life, and cardiovascular and other comorbidities.

Keywords: inflammation, Rheumatoid arthritis, Cartilage, joint.