Rheumatoid Arthritis: What Causes It?
What Causes It?
The pain that you feel from rheumatoid arthritis is caused by the inflammation that you feel. White blood cells are to blame for this pain. There is a tissue called the synovium that is inside your joints. It is the liner of them, allowing them to move easily. But, for some reason that is not fully understood, the white blood cells in your body attack this lining. White blood cells are actually the "good guys" in your body, fighting off bacteria and viruses that enter your blood stream. As they attack your joint's lining, they create additional problems for you.
As this lining is inflamed by the attack on it by the white blood cells, it begins to secrete a substance that is full of proteins. Those proteins end up enlarging the synovium, so much so that it makes movement nearly impossible for your joint. The larger that your joint gets because of the increased amount of proteins over time, the more painful it will be. Eventually, they can become deformed and unusable to you.
What causes your body to go through this process is somewhat unknown. Some scientists believe and a single infection can lead to it. You also carry certain genes that allow you to be more susceptible to the condition as well. Although arthritis itself is not necessary something that will be passed down, the potential for getting it, is. Other doctors believe that hormone irregularities are to blame for the condition.
Who's At Risk?
There are some individuals that are more likely to experience rheumatoid arthritis than others. Being female makes you more likely to have the condition as many more women will be diagnosed each year. In addition, age seems to be an indicator. Although anyone, even children can develop arthritis; most will get it as they get older. As mentioned, you may have genes that make you more susceptible to the onset of arthritis. Those that are exposed to infections also are at a higher risk than those that are not. Many scientists believe that those that smoke for a long period of time will also be more likely to suffer from arthritis. And, for some, there is no indicator that it will happen.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that is not fully understood. There are millions of people in the United States alone that suffer from arthritis. There is help, though. There are many medications that can be used to help lessen the pain that you are dealing with and also to help you to slow the progression of the condition.
Related Tags: cerebral palsy, arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatology, ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatism
Greg Marsh is an acclaimed writer on medical matters, and has written extensively on the subjects of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Rheumatology and Rheumatism.
You can read more of Greg's articles about Rheumatoid Arthritis at http://www.whugu.com
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