About Us
May 2, 2023
We are dedicated to improving the lives of people with Rheumatoid diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Juvenile Arthritis through a variety of means, including research, education and advocacy.
What is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a progressive inflammatory disease that causes damage to organ and joint tissues, producing pain, disability, and deformity. RA is believed to be caused by a malfunction of the immune system, which is an extremely complex structure of pathways and triggers. RA causes the immune system to attack the body of the patient.
What is it like to have Rheumatoid Arthritis?
There is variety to the pattern of symptoms that RA patients experience. Sometimes, RA attacks only a few joints, allowing a person to adapt to a slight disability. In other people, RA attacks every single joint in a systemic fashion, requiring greater lifestyle changes. Meanwhile, RA often silently attacks the heart or other organs.
Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms can be classified as mild, moderate, or severe. These are common symptoms of RA that most people experience to varying degrees:
Fatigue
Joint pain
Stiffness
Fever
Swelling