Rheumatoid Arthritis
It’s important to learn as much as you can about your condition. That includes understanding your symptoms and how RA affects your body. Knowing more can help you talk with your doctor about the treatment that’s right for you.
Normally, your immune system works to protect your body from foreign substances like bacteria, viruses, and germs. While the exact cause is unknown, when you have RA, your immune system attacks your joints.12 That’s why RA is called an autoimmune disease.23
RA primarily affects initially the smaller joints of the hands and feet.4 Joints are where 2 or more bones join together.1 The lining of the joints (synovial membrane) become swollen and inflamed.56 This leads to the pain, stiffness, and swelling in multiple joints that many people with RA experience.4 As the disease progresses, any joint can be involved.4 Furthermore, RA is a systemic disease associated with multiple coexisting conditions and manifestations in tissues and organs outside the joints.4
RA symptoms may include. 12
- Joint pain or stiffness lasting more than a few weeks
- Tender, warm, swollen joints
- Morning stiffness lasting hours
- Feeling tired and unwell
Sometimes RA causes problems in other parts of the body as well, such as the eyes, heart and circulatory system and/or the lungs.2
Symptoms may affect both sides of the body
RA usually causes inflamed joints in both sides of your body.12 For example, if a joint in your right hand is inflamed, the same joint on your left hand may likely be inflamed, too. RA can occur in any joint. But it usually starts in joints in your hands, wrists, feet or knees.1
The joints that RA affects can vary from one person to another. Some people have more severe symptoms than others or have symptoms more often. For many, stiffness is worse in the morning, or when they haven’t been active for a while.1
Who gets RA?
In Europe, the prevalences or RA range between 0.21 (95% CI 0.19-0.23) in Eastern Europe to 0.35 (95% CI 0.31-0.38) per 100,000 population in Western Europe7
The prevalent cases of RA in 2017 were 2,357,945 in Western Europe, of which 56,578 in Belgium and 94,613 in the Netherlands.8
It affects more women than men.27
RA usually starts between the ages of 30 and 60.2
RA is a chronic (long-term) disease
RA is a chronic long-term disease. If the joint pain, stiffness, and swelling symptoms are not caught early, they can worsen over time and damage your joints.123 That’s why early diagnosis and treatment is important.1 While there is no cure, there are medicines that can help relieve these symptoms.123 This may help you perform everyday activities with less difficulty.
Talking With Your Doctor
Your doctor needs to know about your symptoms and how they affect your everyday activities. Be open and honest with your doctor about your symptoms.
Here are a few suggestions.
- Write down the symptoms you’ve been having and make note of any new ones. Has anything changed since your last doctor visit?
- Go into detail: If something hurts, describe how bad it is
- Write down how symptoms affect your ability to do everyday activities
- Make a list of the medicines you take, previous medical procedures, and your disease history
Take these notes with you to your next doctor’s appointment. Don’t forget to talk with your doctor about your treatment goals and the types of activities you’d like to get back to doing.
Patient advocacy groups and external sources
This website is developed exclusively by Janssen Pharmaceutica NV. Please note that the patient advocacy groups, and external sources listed below are an additional and independent source of information you might find useful. These groups and sources were not involved in the creation of this website and do not endorse its content in any way.
