Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by the immune system mistakenly attacking the body’s tissues. Unlike osteoarthritis, which results from wear-and-tear, RA primarily affects the lining of the joints. This leads to painful swelling, potential bone erosion, and joint deformity. Commonly impacting the hands, knees, or ankles, RA usually affects the same joint on both sides of the body, such as both hands or both knees.
The exact cause of RA remains unknown, but it involves an immune response where the body’s immune system attacks its own healthy cells. This inflammatory process in and around the joints can also harm other organs, like the heart and lungs. Risk factors for developing RA are varied, with no specific causes identified.
Comparing osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, both cause joint pain and stiffness, typically worsening with age. However, they differ in nature; osteoarthritis is due to joint wear-and-tear, while RA is an autoimmune condition.
For more detailed information about rheumatoid arthritis, you can visit these resources:
Mayo Clinic
Arthritis Foundation
Cleveland Clinic
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Mayo Clinic on Arthritis
Johns Hopkins Medicine
An autoimmune disorder, rheumatoid arthritis occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body’s tissues. Unlike the wear-and-tear damage of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis affects the lining of your joints, causing a painful swelling that can eventually result in bone erosion and joint deformity.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causes joint inflammation and pain. It happens when the immune system doesn’t work properly and attacks the lining of the joints called the synovium. The disease commonly affects the hands, knees, or ankles, and usually the same joint on both sides of the body, such as both hands or both knees.
Overview: Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes symptoms in several body systems. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that is chronic (ongoing). It occurs in the joints on both sides of your body, which makes it different from other types of arthritis.
What causes RA? RA is the result of an immune response in which the body’s immune system attacks its own healthy cells. The specific causes of RA are unknown, but some factors can increase the risk of developing the disease.
Top of Page: What are the risk factors for RA?
Overview: Osteoarthritis vs. rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis is the swelling and tenderness of one or more joints. The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age. The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
What causes rheumatoid arthritis? The exact cause of RA is not known. RA is an autoimmune disorder. This means the body’s immune system attacks its own healthy cells and tissues. This causes inflammation in and around the joints. This may damage the skeletal system. RA can also damage other organs such as the heart and lungs.
Mayo Clinic
Arthritis Foundation
Cleveland Clinic
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Mayo Clinic on Arthritis
Johns Hopkins Medicine
