🖐️ Rheumatoid Arthritis
PH
PureHealthness Editorial Team · Health writers & reviewers
📝 Last reviewed: August 2026
✔ Transparent sourcing · Some articles are AI-drafted, then reviewed & fact-checked by our team
📝 Last reviewed: August 2026
| In brief | Painful swelling, warmth, and morning stiffness in symmetrical joints (e.g., both wrists or hands). |
|---|---|
| Category | Musculoskeletal |
🔍 What causes it
Autoimmune — the immune system attacks the joint lining (synovium). Symmetrical pattern (both sides) distinguishes it from osteoarthritis. Genetics + smoking + possibly infections. Can affect organs too.
⚠️ Key symptoms
- Symmetrical joint swelling — both wrists/hands, often fingers
- Morning stiffness lasting over 30-60 minutes
- Warm, tender joints; fatigue
- Untreated: joint deformity
💊 Treatment
Early treatment changes outcomes — DMARDs (methotrexate) and biologics control the immune attack. NSAIDs for pain, steroids short-term, physiotherapy. The goal: remission. See a rheumatologist early.
🛡️ Prevention
Don't smoke (the strongest modifiable risk factor), maintain healthy weight.
🚨 See a doctor / red flags: See a doctor promptly if symptoms are severe, do not improve, or get worse — especially for children, older adults, pregnant women, or anyone with a chronic condition.
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