Thanks to new treatments, many people with rheumatoid arthritis can now lead full, active lives.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Hamilton J, McInnes IB, Thomson EA, et al.
Comparative study of intramuscular gold and methotrexate in a rheumatoid arthritis population from a socially deprived area.
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 2001; 60: 566-572.

 

 

 

 

 

¹ But it is difficult to say for sure what will happen to you as an individual.

For some people, the symptoms of the disease come and go. But for others, they get slowly worse. Research shows that as many as 1 in 10 people with rheumatoid arthritis get permanent damage to their joints.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Yelin E, Henke C, Epstein W.
The work dynamics of the person with rheumatoid arthritis.
Arthritis and Rheumatism. 1987; 30: 507-512.

 

 

 

 

 

²

The more you know about your condition and how you can help yourself, the better you will cope. It also helps if you have the support of your friends and family.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Griffith J, Carr A.
What is the impact of early rheumatoid arthritis on the individual?
Best Practice and Research in Clinical Rheumatology. 2001; 15: 77-90.

 

 

 

 

 

³

And treatments can make a real difference. There are drugs that can help to stop your joints from wearing down. These are called disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, or DMARDs for short. They help many people with rheumatoid arthritis to live active lives.

It's best to start taking these treatments soon after you're diagnosed, and you may need to keep taking them for many months or years. But once your disease slows down, you may be able to stop taking them. See What treatments work for rheumatoid arthritis? to learn more about DMARDs.

You may have specific concerns about pain, joint damage and other issues. Here's what we know.

You may worry that your joints will always be painful. But DMARDs can help with the pain. There are also other things that you can do to help control your pain. See Managing pain to learn more.

Even with drug treatments, there is a chance that over many years your joints will be permanently damaged. If your hands are affected, doing simple things like holding a cup or buttoning your coat can become difficult. Some people have to stop working.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Yelin E, Henke C, Epstein W.
The work dynamics of the person with rheumatoid arthritis.
Arthritis and Rheumatism. 1987; 30: 507-512.

 

 

 

 

 

²

Your joints may never become that damaged. But it's still important to make plans for the future in case you can't work or need extra help.

If you have rheumatoid arthritis, you may be more likely than other people to get depressed.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Pincus T, Griffith J, Pearce S, et al.
Prevalence of self-reported depression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
British Journal of Rheumatology. 1996; 35: 879-883.

 

 

 

 

 

⁴ You may worry about how you will cope if you can't work or if you can't do certain things for yourself. See our section on depression to learn what treatments are helpful for this condition.

Rheumatoid arthritis can spread to other parts of your body. But this is very rare.

Just as your joints get swollen and

 

 

 

 

 

inflammation
If your skin or some other part of your body becomes red, swollen, hot or sore, we say it is inflamed. It means that your body is trying to protect you from germs, from something in your body tissues that can hurt you (like a thorn or sliver), or from things that cause allergies (allergens). Inflammation is part of the way the body heals an infection or injury.

 

 

 

 

 

inflamed, your blood vessels, nerves and lungs also can get swollen and inflamed. Rheumatoid arthritis can also stop you from making enough

 

 

 

 

 

red blood cells
Red blood cells are the part of your blood that makes it red. Their main job is to carry oxygen from your heart and lungs out to the tissues of your body. Once these cells unload oxygen, they pick up carbon dioxide. They take carbon dioxide back to your lungs so you can breathe it out of your body.

 

 

 

 

 

red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen around your body. If you don't have enough of these cells, you may feel tired and worn out. Doctors call this condition anemia.

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