Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is traditionally thought to be a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disorder that causes your immune system to attack your joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is a painful and disabling inflammatory medical condition, which can lead to significant loss of mobility resulting from joint destruction and pain.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease which means it can affect several organs and tissue or your whole body. As a result, rheumatoid arthritis often affects extra-articular tissues throughout your body including your heart, lungs, skin, blood vessels and muscles.
About 1% or 2.1 million Americans have rheumatoid arthritis. It is the second most common type of arthritis behind osteoarthritis.
The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is still unknown, but has long been believed to be infectious. Food allergies, external organisms and heredity may also play a part in being susceptible to rheumatoid arthritis. There is no evidence that emotional and physical effects, improper diet or stress play a role in this disease.
There are certain factors that may increase your risk of getting rheumatoid arthritis. Some of these are:
- Age – This disease happens usually between the ages of 40 and 60.
- Sex- Women are more likely to get rheumatoid arthritis than men.
- Family history – If anyone in your family has this disease, you have an increased risk for getting it.
- Smoking – Smoking cigarettes increases your risk of getting rheumatoid arthritis.
The effects caused by rheumatoid arthritis come and go depending on how much your tissue is inflamed. When your body tissues are inflamed, rheumatoid arthritis is active. When the inflammation goes away the disease is in remission.
When rheumatoid arthritis is active, there are several signs and symptoms that you may experience. These include:
- Lack of appetite
- Fatigue
- Low-grade fever
- Muscle and joint aches
- Stiffness.
Muscle and joint stiffness happen most notably after periods of inactivity and in the morning. Your joints frequently become swollen, red, tender and painful.
Rheumatoid arthritis can be both painful and debilitating. It may be why you or a loved one is not able to work. It may be the cause of your disability.
As a result, you or your loved one may need help. You may need financial assistance.
Have you or your loved one applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by rheumatoid arthritis? Were you are your loved one denied?
You or your loved one may decide to appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration. If you do, always remember.
You or your loved one will need the representation of a disability lawyer like the one you will find at socialsecurityhome.com in the appeals process. The reason this is true is because people who are represented by a disability attorney are approved more often than those people who are not represented by a lawyer.
Do not hesitate. Contact the disability attorney at socialsecurityhome.com, today.
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