Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis doesn’t have to control your life. With the right knowledge, early diagnosis, and effective management, you can take charge and continue doing what matters most to you.

What is rheumatoid arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes pain and swelling of the joints. The normal role of your body’s immune system is to fight off infections to keep you healthy. In an autoimmune disease, your immune system starts attacking your own healthy tissues. In RA, the immune system targets the lining of the joints, causing inflammation and joint damage. RA usually affects smaller joints, such as the joints in the hands and feet. However larger joints such as the hips and knees can also be affected.

Because RA is a systemic disease, or a disease that targets your whole body, many of your joints and other organs can be affected.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of RA vary from person to person. The most common symptoms are:

joint pain, swelling, and tenderness to touch
stiffness in the joints, especially in the morning
symmetrical (the same joints on both sides of the body are affected).

What causes it?

More research is being done to understand the causes of RA. The following factors may increase your risk of developing RA.

Causes

Smoking: A significant and modifiable risk factor.
Having an infection: There is some evidence to suggest that RA can be triggered by some infections and viruses. However, you cannot ‘catch’ RA from another person.
Gender: females are more likely to have RA.
Family History: RA is more common in people with a family history.

Other Common Questions

Your doctor will diagnose RA from your symptoms, a physical examination and various tests. These can include:

blood tests for inflammation.
blood tests for antibodies (proteins made by the body’s immune system). Testing for anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) and rheumatoid factor can help diagnose RA, although not all people with RA will test positive for these antibodies. See the Blood tests information sheet.
x-rays to see if your joints are being damaged by the disease. X-ray changes are rare in the early stages of RA.

It can be difficult, and often takes time to diagnose RA as the symptoms can be similar to other types of arthritis. If your doctor suspects you have RA you should be referred to a rheumatologist, a doctor who specialises in arthritis.

With early diagnosis and the right treatment, most people with RA can lead full and active lives. However the course of RA varies and no two cases are exactly the same. Many people with RA experience ‘flares’, periods when joints become more inflamed and painful. These can happen with no obvious cause. ‘Flares’ are commonly followed by months or even years when there is little inflammation. RA can cause permanent joint damage and deformity, especially in the first few years of the disease. The good news is that early diagnosis and treatment is shown to limit this type of joint damage.

Currently there is no cure for RA. However treatment has improved dramatically over the past 20 years, with new medicines now extremely helpful for people in the early stages of RA. Be wary of any products or therapies that claim to cure RA.

Your rheumatologist will tailor your treatment to your symptoms and the severity of your condition. There is no way of predicting exactly which treatment will work best for you. Your doctor may need to trial several different treatments before finding the one that is right for you and may include:

medicines, such as
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- corticosteroid medicines or injections
- disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs)
- biological DMARDs.

For more information see the Australian Rheumatology Association’s Patient Medicine Information or the Medicines & Arthritis information sheet.

exercise, to keep the joints flexible and muscles strong. See the Exercise & Rheumatoid Arthritis and Working with your healthcare team information sheets.

See a rheumatologist as early as possible.

A rheumatologist can diagnose RA and make sure you get the right treatment. If you have RA and have not seen a rheumatologist, ask your doctor about a referral. See the Working with your healthcare team information sheet.

Learn about RA and play an active role in your treatment.

Not all information you read or hear about is trustworthy so always talk to your doctor or healthcare team about treatments you are thinking about trying. Self management courses aim to help you develop skills to be actively involved in your healthcare. Contact Arthritis NSW for details on available courses.

Learn ways to manage pain.

See the Dealing with Pain information sheet.

Live a healthy life.

Stay physically active, eat a healthy diet, stop smoking and reduce stress to help your overall health and well-being. See the Exercise & Rheumatoid Arthritis and Healthy Eating information sheets.

Learn how to protect your joints and cope with tiredness.

See the Fatigue & Arthritis information sheet.

Acknowledge your feelings and seek support.

As there is currently no cure for RA and it can affect many parts of your life, it is natural to feel scared, frustrated, sad and sometimes angry. Be aware of these feelings and get help if they start affecting your daily life. See the Emotional Wellbeing information sheet.

MyRA

MyRA is is an online tool designed to help people with RA seize control and become active participants in their journey with RA.
Everyone’s RA journey is different. Some people are just starting their journey while others have been on the journey for decades.

By providing you with quality information about RA, some simple management skills and the opportunity to share the experience of others, we can help everyone live a better life with RA.

Learn more About Us