Easy-to-Read Facts on Rheumatoid Arthritis Now In Spanish

Format: Fact Sheet
Institute: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease that causes pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function in the joints. It has several special features that make it different from other kinds of arthritis. For example, rheumatoid arthritis generally occurs in a symmetrical pattern, meaning that if one knee or hand is involved, the other one also is. The disease often affects the wrist joints and the finger joints closest to the hand. It can also affect parts of the body other than joints. In addition, people with rheumatoid arthritis may have fatigue, occasional fevers, and a general sense of not feeling well.

For some people, rheumatoid arthritis lasts only a few months or a year or two and goes away without causing any noticeable damage. Others have mild or moderate forms of the disease, with periods of worsening symptoms, called flares, and periods in which they feel better, called remissions. Still others have a severe form of the disease that is active most of the time, lasts for many years or a lifetime, and leads to serious joint damage and disability.

A new Spanish-language fact sheet on rheumatoid arthritis, ¿Qué es la artritis reumatoide?, has been published as part of the “Esenciales” series (called “Fast Facts” in English). These fact sheets use everyday language to describe a wide variety of problems affecting bones, muscles, joints, and skin. They include basic information about each condition, details about current NIAMS research, guidance on how to minimize symptoms, and a description of available treatment options.

Next Steps
You can read the fact sheet about rheumatoid arthritis (¿Qué es la artritis reumatoide?) online at www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/arthritis/ffrheumatoid_espanol.htm or download a PDF by visiting www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/arthritis/FFRheumatoidArthritis_espanol.pdf. An index of all “Fast Facts” topics, including materials in Spanish, is available at www.niams.nih.gov/hi/index.htm.