{"id":2560,"date":"2024-12-11T07:28:15","date_gmt":"2024-12-11T07:28:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/suburban-blog.abymtech.com\/?p=2560"},"modified":"2026-08-28T13:32:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T13:32:18","slug":"rheumatoid-arthritis-symptoms-risk-factors-diagnosis-and-complications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/rheumatoid-arthritis-symptoms-risk-factors-diagnosis-and-complications\/","title":{"rendered":"Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): Symptoms, Risk Factors, Diagnosis, &amp; Complications"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2561\" src=\"https:\/\/suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Rheumatoid-Arthritis-RA-Symptoms-Risk-Factors-Diagnosis-Complications-300x180.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"1405\" height=\"235\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease, which means that your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake, causing inflammation (painful swelling) in the affected parts of the body.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>RA mainly attacks the joints, usually many joints at once.<\/b><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/rheumatoid-arthritis-symptoms-risk-factors-diagnosis-and-complications\/#SYMPTOMS_OF_RA\" >SYMPTOMS OF RA:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/rheumatoid-arthritis-symptoms-risk-factors-diagnosis-and-complications\/#RISK_FACTORS_FOR_RA\" >RISK FACTORS FOR RA:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/rheumatoid-arthritis-symptoms-risk-factors-diagnosis-and-complications\/#DIAGNOSIS_OF_RA\" >DIAGNOSIS OF RA:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/rheumatoid-arthritis-symptoms-risk-factors-diagnosis-and-complications\/#COMPLICATIONS_OF_RA\" >COMPLICATIONS OF RA:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"SYMPTOMS_OF_RA\"><\/span><b>SYMPTOMS OF RA:<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">With RA, there are times when symptoms get worse, known as <b>FLARES<\/b>, and times when symptoms get better, known as <b>REMISSION<\/b>.<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<li>Pain or aching in more than one joint<\/li>\n<li>Stiffness in more than one joint<\/li>\n<li>Tenderness and swelling in more than one joint<\/li>\n<li>The same symptoms on both sides of the body (such as in both hands or both knees)<\/li>\n<li>Weight loss<\/li>\n<li>Fever<\/li>\n<li>Fatigue or tiredness<\/li>\n<li>Weakness<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"RISK_FACTORS_FOR_RA\"><\/span><b>RISK FACTORS FOR RA:<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<li><b>Age<\/b>: RA can begin at any age but the onset of RA is highest among adults in their sixties.<\/li>\n<li><b>Gender<\/b>: RA is typically two-to-three times more common in women.<\/li>\n<li><b>Genetics\/inherited traits<\/b>: People born with specific genes are more likely to develop RA. Also, If a member of your family has rheumatoid arthritis, you may have an increased risk of the disease.<\/li>\n<li><b>Smoking<\/b>: Cigarette smoking increases a person\u2019s risk of developing RA and can make the disease worse.<\/li>\n<li><b>Obesity<\/b>: Being obese can increase the risk of developing RA.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"DIAGNOSIS_OF_RA\"><\/span><b>DIAGNOSIS OF RA:<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/test-menu\/mumbai\/ra-rheumatoid-arthritis-factor-serum\">RA is diagnosed<\/a> by reviewing symptoms, conducting a physical examination, and doing X-rays and lab tests.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">The lab tests include primarily 2 tests:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<li><b><strong>Anti-CCP (cyclic citrullinated peptide) antibody<\/strong><\/b><\/li>\n<li><b><strong>Rheumatoid factor<\/strong><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"COMPLICATIONS_OF_RA\"><\/span><b>COMPLICATIONS OF RA:<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since RA is an autoimmune disease, it can have complications relating to many different organ systems. RA increases your risk of developing:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<li>Osteoporosis<\/li>\n<li>Rheumatoid nodules (can form anywhere in the body, including the heart and lungs)<\/li>\n<li>Dry eyes and mouth<\/li>\n<li>Abnormal body composition (The proportion of fat to lean mass is often higher in people who have RA, even in those who have a normal BMI.)<\/li>\n<li>Carpal tunnel syndrome<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/health-library\/heart-diseases\">Heart problems<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/health-library\/lungs\">Lung disease<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Joint pains should not be ignored.<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Seek medical attention for <\/b><b>rehumatioid arthritis (RA)<\/b><b> today!<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease, which means that your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake, causing inflammation (painful swelling) in the affected parts of the body. RA mainly attacks the joints, usually many joints at once. SYMPTOMS OF RA: With RA, there are times when symptoms<span class=\"post-excerpt-end\">&hellip;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/rheumatoid-arthritis-symptoms-risk-factors-diagnosis-and-complications\/\" class=\"themebutton\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2561,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2560","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"blog_post_layout_featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Rheumatoid-Arthritis-RA-Symptoms-Risk-Factors-Diagnosis-Complications-150x150.webp",150,150,true],"full":["https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Rheumatoid-Arthritis-RA-Symptoms-Risk-Factors-Diagnosis-Complications.webp",1000,600,false]},"categories_names":{"4":{"name":"General","link":"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/general\/"}},"tags_names":[],"comments_number":"0","rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Rheumatoid-Arthritis-RA-Symptoms-Risk-Factors-Diagnosis-Complications.webp",1000,600,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Rheumatoid-Arthritis-RA-Symptoms-Risk-Factors-Diagnosis-Complications.webp",1000,600,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Rheumatoid-Arthritis-RA-Symptoms-Risk-Factors-Diagnosis-Complications.webp",1000,600,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Rheumatoid-Arthritis-RA-Symptoms-Risk-Factors-Diagnosis-Complications-150x150.webp",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Rheumatoid-Arthritis-RA-Symptoms-Risk-Factors-Diagnosis-Complications-300x180.webp",300,180,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Rheumatoid-Arthritis-RA-Symptoms-Risk-Factors-Diagnosis-Complications.webp",1000,600,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Rheumatoid-Arthritis-RA-Symptoms-Risk-Factors-Diagnosis-Complications.webp",1000,600,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Rheumatoid-Arthritis-RA-Symptoms-Risk-Factors-Diagnosis-Complications.webp",1000,600,false],"shuttle-column1-1\/3":["https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Rheumatoid-Arthritis-RA-Symptoms-Risk-Factors-Diagnosis-Complications-1000x380.webp",1000,380,true],"shuttle-column1-1\/4":["https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Rheumatoid-Arthritis-RA-Symptoms-Risk-Factors-Diagnosis-Complications-1000x285.webp",1000,285,true],"shuttle-column2-1\/2":["https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Rheumatoid-Arthritis-RA-Symptoms-Risk-Factors-Diagnosis-Complications-570x285.webp",570,285,true],"shuttle-column2-2\/3":["https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Rheumatoid-Arthritis-RA-Symptoms-Risk-Factors-Diagnosis-Complications-570x380.webp",570,380,true],"shuttle-column3-1\/3":["https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Rheumatoid-Arthritis-RA-Symptoms-Risk-Factors-Diagnosis-Complications-380x107.webp",380,107,true],"shuttle-column3-2\/3":["https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Rheumatoid-Arthritis-RA-Symptoms-Risk-Factors-Diagnosis-Complications-380x254.webp",380,254,true],"shuttle-column4-2\/3":["https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Rheumatoid-Arthritis-RA-Symptoms-Risk-Factors-Diagnosis-Complications-285x190.webp",285,190,true]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Team Suburban Diagnostics","author_link":"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/author\/suburban\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/general\/\" rel=\"category tag\">General<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease, which means that your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake, causing inflammation (painful swelling) in the affected parts of the body. RA mainly attacks the joints, usually many joints at once. SYMPTOMS OF RA: With RA, there are times when symptoms&hellip;Read&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2560","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2560"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2560\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4856,"href":"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2560\/revisions\/4856"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2561"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2560"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2560"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.suburbandiagnostics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2560"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}