Rheumatoid arthritis

n. (Medicine) chronic disease of joints which causes inflammation of the joints and tissues around them

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is traditionally considered a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack the joints. It is a disabling and painful inflammatory condition, which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. RA is a systemic disease, often affecting extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and muscles. About 60% of RA patients are unable to work 10 years after the onset of their disease.
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Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and deformity of the joints. [more]Rheumatoid arthritis - Community and Resources

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
(synonym) atrophic arthritis, rheumatism
(hypernym) arthritis
(hyponym) psoriatic arthritis
(classification) virus

An autoimmune disease which causes chronic inflammation of the joints, the tissue around the joints, as well as other organs in the body. Autoimmune diseases occur when the body tissues are mistakenly attacked by its own immune system. The immune system is a complex organization of cells and antibodies designed normally to "seek and destroy" invaders of the body, particularly infections. Patients with these diseases have antibodies in their blood which target their own body tissues, where they can be associated with inflammation. Because it can affect multiple other organs of the body, rheumatoid arthritis is referred to as a systemic illness and is sometimes called rheumatoid disease. While rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic illness (meaning it can last for years) patients may experience long periods without symptoms.

noun
painful inflammation of a joint
reactive arthritis = arthritis caused by a reaction to something
rheumatoid arthritis = general painful disabling collagen disease affecting any joint, but especially the hands, feet, and hips, making them swollen and inflamed
see also OSTEOARTHRITIS