Is rheumatoid arthritis common?
362521
Yep, the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in the US population is about 1%, which is equivalent to 2.5 million people. It is also 3 times more common in women than in men. This would not be considered very common, but I'd say it is not rare either!
59965
it depends on your age. sounds like arthritis, lupus, mono, it just depends. i would have to ask you further questions to determine.
759072
Rheumatoid arthritis can start in any joint, but it most commonly begins in the smaller joints of the fingers, hands and wrists. Joint involvement is usually symmetrical, meaning that if a joint hurts on the left hand, the same joint will hurt on the right hand. In general, more joint erosion indicates more severe disease activity.\n\n-Fatigue\n-Stiffness, particularly in the morning and when sitting for long      periods of time. Typically, the longer the morning stiffness lasts,  the more active your disease is.\n-Weakness\n-Flu-like symptoms, including a low-grade fever\n-Pain associated with prolonged sitting\n-The occurrence of flares of disease activity followed by remission or disease inactivity\n-Rheumatoid nodules, or lumps of tissue under the skin, appear in about one-fifth of people with RA. Typically found on the elbows, they can indicate more severe disease activity.\n-Muscle pain\n-Loss of appetite, depression, weight loss, anemia, cold and/or sweaty hands and feet\n-Involvement of the glands around the eyes and mouth, causing decreased production of tears and saliva (Sjögren’s syndrome)\n\nGo to www.arthritis.org for more information
470105
Determining the cause of arthritis can be difficult, because often several factors contribute to an individual developing this common problem. \n\nSome of the risk factors that can cause arthritis include: \nGenetics\nExactly how much heredity or genetics contributes to the cause of arthritis is not well understood. However, there are likely genetic variations that can contribute to the cause of arthritis. \n\nAge\nCartilage becomes more brittle with age and has less of a capacity to repair itself. As people grow older they are more likely to develop arthritis. \n\nWeight\nBecause joint damage is partly dependent on the load the joint has to support, excess body weight can lead to arthritis. This is especially true of the hips and knees that can be worn quickly in heavier patients. \n\nPrevious Injury\nJoint damage can cause irregularities in the normal smooth joint surface.
913748
First confirm that it is not due to any viral infection, because there is fever. If it is not there it might be rheumatism. Do RA test and ESR. If ESR is high and pain is unstoppable it is rheumatism eventhough RA test is negative. We call it Negative RA. Unfortunately there is no medicine for rheumatism but we treat it with our research. If it confirms you should think visiting us otherwise taking painkillers till death is the only thing you can do. Therefore first confirm it.
39615
There are a few forms of arthritis.\nRheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. It is when the body's own defenses attack itself causing extreme pain, imflammation and disformity. While OTC meds liek Naproxen sodium can provide mild temporary relief, you will need to look into immune therapies and more powerful RX meds.\n\nOsteoarthritis is when the bone-jont interface just wears out. It could be due to age, injury, playing aports. It can happen to someone at almost any age. Here you have two solid bones that no longer rotate/glide/move smoothly over the joint capsule. Again, for temporary relife, Naproxen sodium, Ibuprofen and other NSAIDS will provide mild temporary relief. Taking a supplement with glucosomine and chondroitin helps some people, but not others. A warm bath, warm compress, or any of the ointments with analgesic will provide temporary relief.\nThere is no cure for arthritis. A joint replacement can cure osteoarthritis, but those are only available for certain areas of the body.\n\nKeep in mind that NSAIDs taken on a reglar basis can cause many stomach and GI problems. They are harsh on the stomach and may lead to ulcers and bleeding.\n\nSome websites to peruse:\n\nhttp://www.arthritis.org/conditions/DiseaseCenter/ra.asp\nhttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/rheumatoidarthritis.html\nhttp://www.arthritis.ca/types%20of%20arthritis/osteoarthritis/default.asp?s=1\nhttp://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/arthritis/oahandout.htm\n\nYou should take the time to see a doctor to confim diagnosis, as the painful joints and swelling could be from another underlying problem.
256395
Most forms of arthritis are non-infections.
185482
there are many ways to treat it but not cure it.\nhttp://www.arthritis.org/
1118044
There are many different types of arthritis.  Osteoarthritis is what people think of as the typical older person's disease where the joints wear down, but there is also rheumatoid arthritis (more common in females) which is an auto-immune disease where the body's immune system attacks the joints.  That can start in very young children.
231990
Lupus, Crohn's Disease, and some other diseases mimic eachother.  MS isn't the worst thing that could happen to you.  I speak from experience, because I have MS.
1016467
Joints tend to deteriorate in people over fifty; especially, if you are overweight or inactive.  That would make a world of difference.  Arthritis is basically the aging process of our bones; the little pad that normally keeps the bones separated starts to flatten or wear out completely (synovial sac) and then the bones are grinding bone on bone.  It causes inflammation of the area and pain.\n\nYour diet, activity level, heredity, and weight will all affect what level of arthritis you will have at a given age.  Although this is painful, the best remedy for arthritis is exercise.  I know it sounds strange, but the more you exercise the better it will get.  Taking anti-inflammatories like aspirin (with food) will reduce the inflammation and pain.\n\nA good extra warm soaking/bath will do wonders for arthritis, say of the back or knees.  Losing weight also helps.\n\nHope this helps and God bless.
5163
depends on which arthritis your talking aboyt, otherwise yes!    *  Both men and women can get reactive arthritis.\n    * It usually affects people between the ages of 20 and 50.\n    * Some people may be more likely to get reactive arthritis.  These are people who have a certain type of body tissue.  This type of tissue, called HLA-B27, occurs in only a small number of all people.  People get their tissue type from their parents, just as they do hair colour and blood type.
1004312
it might...might enlarge your joints or may increase chances of joint diseases.  i've cracked my knuckles since i was a kid, i need to since i use my hands a so much. just don't overdo it. and don't believe that stupid myth that it causes arthiritis. that hasn't been proven.
275685
There are plenty of autoimmune conditions that can affect young children.  Acquired conditions like Lyme disease mentioned above, as well as chronic diseases like juvenile rhemuatoid arthritis (JRA) are two examples.  Here is the link to some info about JRA: \n\nhttp://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/arthritis/jra.html\n\nI do not mean to suggest that JRA is at fault here...it is merely one of many possibilities.  In any case, I would have the child see a pediatric rheumatologist, who deal with myriad of similar symptoms. No harm in that really, and it would help, I think.
268646
Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto-immune disease.   Affected joints feel hot in addition to pain, and become twisted out of shape.  You really need a physician to treat that. \n    Osteo-arthritis causes the lining of certain joints to wear away and become painful.  It causes pain most frequently in hips, knees, back, fingers and toes.  It can be helped by physical therapy, and weight loss, if overweight.  Recent studies have failed to demonstrate benefits of nutritional supplements.  Vioxx was a good treatment, but is off the market now.  Aleve is helpful.
976157
To answer your question we need to understand first what is GOUT.\nGout is one of the most painful rheumatic diseases. It results from deposits of needle-like crystals of uric acid in connective tissue, in the joint space between two bones, or in both. These deposits lead to inflammatory arthritis, which causes swelling, redness, heat, pain, and stiffness in the joints. The term arthritis refers to more than 100 different rheumatic diseases that affect the joints, muscles, and bones, as well as other tissues and structures. Gout accounts for approximately 5 percent of all cases of arthritis.\nWhat is uric acid -Uric acid is a substance that results from the breakdown of purines, which are part of all human tissue and are found in many foods. Normally, uric acid is dissolved in the blood and passed through the kidneys into the urine, where it is eliminated. If the body increases its production of uric acid or if the kidneys do not eliminate enough uric acid from the body, levels of it build up in the blood (a condition called hyperuricemia). Hyperuricemia also may result when a person eats too many high-purine foods.\nWhat are the food high in purine - \nLiver \nFish \nBrewer’s yeast \nSpleen \nKidney \nMushrooms \nSoya\nremember it’s not what foods are high in uric acid! But their purine content that is important.Study demonstrates that consuming foods high in purines contributes to the amount of uric acid in the body and therefore predisposes a person to gout. \n\nSigns and Symptoms of Gout\nHyperuricemia\nPresence of uric acid crystals in joint fluid\nMore than one attack of acute arthritis\nArthritis that develops in 1 day, producing a swollen, red, and warm joint\nAttack of arthritis in only one joint, usually the toe, ankle, or knee \n\n\nhope i have help you understand about gout...
1072110
Treatments for rheumatic diseases include rest and relaxation, exercise, proper diet, medication, and instruction about the proper use of joints and ways to conserve energy. Other treatments include the use of pain relief methods and assistive devices, such as splints or braces.\n\nAt this time, the only type of arthritis that can be cured is that caused by infections. Although symptoms of other types of arthritis can be effectively managed with rest, exercise, and medication, there are no cures.