Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the linings of the joints. People with RA usually experience swollen, tender, and painful joints which are sometimes warm to the touch and may appear pink. They may also experience morning stiffness that can last for more than an hour and leads to deformities of all joints affected and disabilities. Left untreated, RA also can also affect all body organs not just joints; it can cause inflammation of the heart and the lungs, it can cause anemia, could affect the eyes, could cause vasculitis, and constitutional symptoms like fatigue. Medications such as NSAIDS (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin) Analgesics (for pain) are used as first line of medication to treat the disease; Corticosteroids (like Cortisone and Prednisone) and DMARDS (disease modifying medications) Non-biological and biological medicines are used as second line medications for the disease and can usually be effective in the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. The team at AOA will determine the best treatment plan for you and will coordinate with your primary-care physician to effectively manage your RA.