Definition

1. Noun:
   • A chronic autoimmune disease: Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term medical condition where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues, primarily targeting the joints. This leads to inflammation, pain, stiffness, and can cause significant damage and deformity over time.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • My grandmother has been managing rheumatoid arthritis for over twenty years.
  • Early diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis are crucial to slow joint damage.
  • The pain and swelling in her hands were the first symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Advanced Usage

• Medical Context: The term is often abbreviated as RA in clinical settings.
  • The patient's RA factor test came back positive.
• Describing Severity: It is common to describe the disease as being in remission or as an active flare.
  • Her rheumatoid arthritis has been in remission for six months.
  • He is experiencing a severe flare of his rheumatoid arthritis.

Variants and Related Words

• Arthritis (n): A broader term for inflammation of the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is one specific type.
  • Osteoarthritis is a different form of arthritis caused by wear and tear, not an autoimmune response like rheumatoid arthritis.
• Rheumatoid (adj): Pertaining to or affected by rheumatoid arthritis.
  • She has rheumatoid nodules on her elbows.
• Rheumatologist (n): A doctor who specializes in arthritis and other diseases of the joints, muscles, and bones.
  • You should see a rheumatologist for your condition.

Synonyms

• RA: The standard medical abbreviation.
• Inflammatory arthritis: A category of arthritis that includes rheumatoid arthritis, characterized by inflammation driven by the immune system.

Related Phrases

• Autoimmune disease: The category of illness to which rheumatoid arthritis belongs.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis is classified as an autoimmune disease.
• Joint inflammation: A key symptom and process in the disease.
  • The primary problem in rheumatoid arthritis is chronic joint inflammation.

Noun

1. a chronic autoimmune disease with inflammation of the joints and marked deformities; something (possibly a virus) triggers an attack on the synovium by the immune system, which releases cytokines that stimulate an inflammatory reaction that can lead to the destruction of all components of the joint