Rheumatoid Arthritis: Causes, Treatments, and How It Affects Your Body

When your immune system turns against your own body, it doesn’t just cause confusion—it causes rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic autoimmune disorder where the body attacks joint lining, leading to pain, swelling, and eventual bone damage. Also known as RA, it’s not just aging joints or overuse—it’s your immune system mistaking healthy tissue for a threat. Unlike osteoarthritis, which wears down cartilage over time, rheumatoid arthritis starts with inflammation deep in the synovium, the lining around your joints. That inflammation doesn’t stop on its own. Left unchecked, it eats away at bone and cartilage, warps joint structure, and can even affect your heart, lungs, and eyes.

This condition doesn’t pick just one joint—it often hits both hands, wrists, or knees at the same time. That symmetry is a key clue doctors look for. People with rheumatoid arthritis don’t just wake up with stiff fingers—they wake up feeling like they’ve been hit by a truck. Morning stiffness lasting over an hour? That’s not normal aging. Fatigue, low-grade fever, and even weight loss often come with it. And here’s the part most people miss: inflammation, the body’s natural response to injury or infection becomes a runaway train in RA. Chronic inflammation doesn’t just hurt your joints—it drives bone loss, a direct result of immune cells activating pathways that break down bone faster than it can rebuild. That’s why people with long-term RA often develop osteoporosis, even if they’re young.

What triggers this? No one knows for sure, but genetics, smoking, and certain infections are big players. Stress doesn’t cause it, but it can make flare-ups worse. And while there’s no cure, treatment has come a long way. Modern drugs don’t just mask pain—they slow or stop the immune attack. Biologics, DMARDs, and even lifestyle changes like anti-inflammatory diets can make a real difference. The goal isn’t just to feel better today—it’s to keep your joints working for years to come.

What you’ll find below isn’t just a list of articles. It’s a practical toolkit. You’ll see how RA connects to other conditions like tendonitis and post-thrombotic syndrome, why some meds like doxycycline or methotrexate show up in unexpected places, and how inflammation links to everything from bone health to mental fatigue. These aren’t random posts—they’re the real-world pieces that fit together when you’re managing this disease. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or have lived with RA for years, this collection gives you the clear, no-fluff facts you need to make smarter choices.