If it does appear in your family, you might want to ask your doctor about rheumatoid arthritis genetic testing. Having a close relative with RA, especially a parent or sibling, ups your chances too. While there are several contributing factors for RA, it’s common to ask: Is rheumatoid arthritis genetic or hereditary? The simple answer is that yes, studies show that genetics do increase your risk of developing the disease. Because RA is an autoimmune disorder, it affects body symptoms beyond just your joints and often comes with low-grade fevers, decreased appetite, and fatigue. While both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis come with some similar symptoms, like joint stiffness and inflammation, there are other signs associated with RA. Joint pain with OA often occurs on only one side-your right knee or left hand, for instance-while joint pain with RA is typically symmetrical. OA is a degenerative disease that affects primarily older people while RA is most common around middle age. But not all arthritis is the same-there are significant differences between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Difference Between Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid ArthritisĪrthritis is the overarching term referring to inflammation of the joints. Look for signs like a low-grade fever, ongoing fatigue, and decreased appetite or weight loss. Early Signs of Rheumatoid Arthritis in HandsĪlong with the stiffness, swelling, and pain you might notice in the joints of your hands, other symptoms can be early signs that the discomfort you’re experiencing might be rheumatoid arthritis. RA in the hands also causes pain, stiffness, and swelling but will come with other symptoms as well, since the disease affects your entire body. It primarily affects older people, while RA is most common in people ages 30 to 50. Osteoarthritis in hands is the most common form of the condition, caused when cartilage in the joints starts to break down and cause pain, stiffness, and inflammation.
Osteoarthritis vs Rheumatoid Arthritis in Hands That's when autoimmune diseases like RA pop up, and healthy joints fall under siege. Some researchers believe that healthy cells may get mixed up in the action when the body senses danger from a virus or infection when the immune system kicks into gear and attacks the germs (aka an immune response), the body’s own tissue may get assaulted, too. While we know that RA occurs because the immune system attacks the body’s healthy tissue, the medical jury’s still out on the cause for that response. It has been shown that estrogen can rev up the B cells (those are the white blood cells that attack the synovial membrane) and thus exacerbate autoimmune diseases like RA. Since women get the disease three times more often than men, some experts believe hormonal factors may play a role in causing rheumatoid arthritis. Because there are so many other factors that impact the development of rheumatoid arthritis and because the gene alone cannot confirm diagnosis or predict it in the future, docs do not perform genetic testing when diagnosing RA. However, simply having the gene does not mean that you have RA or that you will develop it. But, what’s a “genetic marker”? It’s any variation in your DNA that may indicate an increased risk of developing a specific condition. For example, the genetic marker HLA-DR4 has been found in 60% to 70% percent of people of European ancestry with RA. And while RA is known for causing joint pain and inflammation, it can spark other symptoms throughout your body, including dry eyes, chest pain, and osteoporosis.Ĭertain genes increase the risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis. However, if you imagine someone with arthritis in their hands, the very firm nodules at the furthest finger joints are actually those seen in Osteoarthritis and not rheumatoid arthritis. These nodules will fluctuate with disease activity. The space between bones can become smaller, causing joints to become unstable, misaligned, more painful, and sometimes even immobile.Įventually, inflammatory tissue begins to build up, sometimes causing nodules to form around the area, most commonly along the back of the forearms, elbows, joints, and pressure points such as sacrum, occiput, and heel. Over time, untreated inflammation can damage cartilage and bones.
Some people report feeling a warm or even burning sensation around the affected joints as well as a stiffness that makes movement slow. In the early stages, the synovial membrane becomes inflamed and thickened, causing pain and limiting joint movement. But here’s what happens when RA strikes: The immune system essentially misfires and sets its sights on the synovial membrane, attacking as if it’s a foreign invader.
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