Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease causing pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of function in the joints. A healthy immune system protects the body by attacking foreign bacteria and viruses, but an autoimmune disease causes the body to mistakenly attack healthy tissue. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder, meaning it is caused by an anomaly in the immune system.
It is not sure what causes the immune system to attack its own tissues, but there are contributing factors.There are certain genes that may play a small role in the development of RA, although not directly. Environmental Factors: Bacteria and viruses Exposure to secondhand smoke Air pollution Insecticides Mineral oils Silica mineral (found in obsidian, granite, diorite, and sandstone) Both men and women are susceptible to RA, but the disease is far more common in women. In fact, 70 percent of…
