Rheumatoid arthritis
If you’re one of the 1.5 million Americans with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in your joints, causing swelling and pain. But the more likely culprit for your joint pain is osteoarthritis, which affects 27 million people in the U.S. each year.
How can you tell the difference? ‘Rheumatoid arthritis tends to involve the smaller joints of the body and [present] symmetrically, left and right,’ says Dr. Wang, adding that multiple joints tend to be affected at the same time.
‘Osteoarthritis, which is wear and tear, tends to hit the joint with more use first.’ An accurate diagnosis is essential since the primary method of treatment for RA involves medication. Other conditions that can be mistaken for RA, adds Dr. Wang, include lupus, gout, and psoriatic arthritis.
