The text authors note it is an "autoimmune disease in which the immune system of the body attacks its own tissues" (Tortora and Derrickson 285). In fact, the joint can even become misshapen. It can have longer-lasting affects than osteoarthritis, but it can also have flare-ups and remissions, which osteoarthritis does not have. Osteoarthritis is degenerative, while rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease. It affects two to three times more women than men. Symptoms are different from osteoarthritis, and include inflammation and swelling of the joints, pain, warmth, and pain or stiffness in the morning or after long periods of rest. In addition, rheumatoid arthritis is usually symmetrical, meaning it will affect both wrists, both knees, etc., although this is not always the case. The disease can also lead to a low-grade fever, a general feeling of tiredness, and affect other parts of the body, such as the heart lining. It can also create "rheumatoid nodules" under the skin in several areas of the body. Eventually, the disease can last many years, and lead to joint damage and disability (Editors). While the exact cause of rheumatoid arthritis is not known, most researches believe the disease is hereditary, but it can also be triggered by an infection. It is not transmittable; one person cannot catch it or pass it to another person through infection. Usually doctors diagnose the disease via a blood test and then x-rays (Editors). The good news is, treatment is available for the disease, and new treatments are being developed. Authors Fischman and Hobson continue, "For rheumatoid arthritis, there's a lot of excitement about new medicines known as biologic response modifiers, which can hit the disease hard and fast and either slow it down or stop it altogether" (Fischman and Hobson). Thus, there may be some hope on the horizon for sufferers of this debilitating disease.

There are many other forms of arthritis that are not as prevalent as these two. Overall, nearly 43 million Americans suffer from some sort of arthritis (Fischman and Hobson). While...

One patient notes, "I got very depressed. I couldn't sleep. When pain is constant like that, it changes your personality. And it affected everyone around me,' says Nora Baldner, 41, of Quincy, Ill., who had arthritis in both hips" ((Fischman and Hobson). Clearly the disease can have a debilitating affect on family members, too, who may have to perform tasks that are no longer possible for family members, or see their loved ones degenerate into disabled patients filled with pain and suffering.
While arthritis is usually associated with old age, children can develop the disease, too. One of the most common in young children is juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, which can cause great pain and difficulty. One child said, "At night, I just cried and cried because my feet hurt so much,' says 11-year-old Leona West of Springfield, Ill" (Fischman and Hobson). It can also attack young people in their 20s, so it is not simply a disease of old age.

In conclusion, arthritis is so common today it may be taken lightly, but each of these forms of the disease can be debilitating and serious. Both of these forms of arthritis cause permanent damage to the joints and bones, and rheumatoid arthritis can lead to other diseases and conditions. Arthritis should be a top research priority in America, because curing or preventing the disease could make a real difference in so many people's lives. Finding a cure could leave them pain free and able to perform tasks no longer possible. Arthritis affects families too, and so finding a cure should be one of the most important goals for researchers and drug companies.