Is Rheumatoid Arthritis Genetic?

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RA is not necessarily genetic, as the disease itself cannot be transferred, but your genetics can make you more likely to get RA. Rheumatoid Arthritis is a debilitating and painful form of arthritis, that not only causes aching in the joints but also causes them to deform. RA is inflammatory, which could be a result of your body's own immune system attacking its own joint tissue. RA is significantly more common in women, typically occurring between young adulthood and middle-age. RA inflicts a series of symptoms, which may or may not come and go. Symptoms typically involve a pain/swelling in the joints, stiffing/aching in muscles and joints, loss of motion and strength in the joins and their corresponding muscles, fatigue, fever and joint deformity. RA typically surfaces in multiple joints at once, and tends to appear on symmetrical sides of the body. Smaller joints, such as hands, feet, wrists and knees are usually first affected, with the disease lurching into larger joints - hips, elbows, shoulders, jaw, neck - as time passes. An indication of RA can be rheumatoid nodules, or small bumps beneath the flesh at various points of pressure. They can be very tiny or rather large. They are not often painful. Since RA is an inflammatory form of arthritis, it can extend to other parts of the body outside of bones and joints. It can inflame the glands, heart and lung lining, the lungs, and vessels.

RA is chronic and does not go away, but tends to fade in and out.

RA is caused by white blood cells moving from the bloodstream into the lining of the joints, whereupon they seem to attach the lining, causing inflammation. Inflammation releases proteins, which thicken the lining, damage cartilage, and deforms the joints. RA is possibly caused by an infection or virus, and this virus may only occur in people who have an acquired susceptibility, meaning that RA can, indeed be genetic, though not specifically inherited. Treatment for RA can include a number of things. Surgeries are an option, and there are also several forms of medication available, although several of them have severe side effects. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory choices reduce pain and inflammation, although too much uses can lead to stomach bleeding, indigestion, liver and kidney damage, damage and hypertension . Cox-2 inhibitors suppress enzymes that allow joint inflammation. This drug has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke and may cause stomach problems. Corticosteroids work for acute pain, but are usually not used longterm as they may cause diabetes or cataracts. These are not the only prescription medications available for RA and there are also non-prescription supplements which may be helpful, especially given their all-natural status which negates side effects.