Rheumatoid Artheritis

Were you looking for information about Rheumatoid Arthritis? Rheumatoid artheritis is a common misspelling of rheumatoid arthritis.

If you have pain, stiffness, swelling, or loss of function in the joints and these symptoms appear symmetrically (meaning if one hand or knee is affected, the other is too), you may have rheumatoid arthritis. This type of arthritis is an autoimmune disease, which means that a person's immune system attacks his or her own body tissues. Treatment for the condition typically involves certain medications, lifestyle changes, routine monitoring and ongoing care, and sometimes surgery.

(Click Rheumatoid Arthritis for a full-length article on the disease, including why it may occur, how common rheumatoid arthritis is, and what treatments are available. You can also click any of the links in the box to the right for specific information.)