Rheumatoid is a form of arthritis and is an autoimmune ailment. In other words, rheumatoid strikes whenever the body's immune system fails to provide the protective shield to the body. Rheumatoid -- also known as Rheumatoid Arthritis - can seriously affect the vital internal organs like the heart, and the lungs.

Rheumatoid affects the lining of the joints which are known as the synovium. Rheumatoid patients have painful inflammation of this lining. Thus, rheumatoid means a rather painful condition of the joints. Rheumatoid can strike a person in his early 20s, and it can last for his entire life.

There is still no unanimity as to the exact cause of rheumatoid. But most of the experts agree that genetics and hereditary factors that pass on from one generation to another via the genes do play a vital role. Another school of thought attempts to blame rheumatoid cause on -- mononucleosis - a virus or bacterium. Even if one accepts the latter stand as a viable one, it is for sure though that rheumatoid is not at all contagious. Stressful lifestyle, tensions, and infections such as strep throat are also deemed to be viable causes of rheumatoid. If not detected and diagnosed at the initial stages, rheumatoid can adversely affect the blood, lungs as well as the heart. What is more, rheumatoid can even change the shapes of the joints. The natural outcome of this debilitating and extremely painful syndrome is that the patient finds it very problematic to move around.

Different persons can have different symptoms. The common symptoms of rheumatoid are a feeling of warmth on the affected parts accompanied by redness, stiffness and an overall swelling of the portion of the body where are located the affected joint(s). The stiffness, tenderness, and swelling can last for about a week or can even extend for a longer period. Obviously, the general feeling is of fatigue and depression. Many also experience feverish symptoms. However, the diseases can also be a silent invader sans these symptoms or a few of them. Moreover, there are several common patterns which are basically symmetrical in nature; suppose a particular joint on one side of the body is affected by rheumatoid then the other side of the body also gets affected by the dysfunction. Rheumatoid is thus a systemic disease causing pain to the patient.

One can also opt for the alternative medicines and therapies as acupuncture and acupressure. The most largely opted for treatment across the globe by the rheumatoid patients are surgeries. Nonetheless, the severity of rheumatoid is usually diagnosed through a series of clinical tests. The patients suffering from a mild attack of rheumatoid are generally prescribed anti-inflammatory medications like aspirin etc. But, in situations where the ailment has already reached an advanced stage, they are prescribed DMARDs (Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs) like the Corticosteroids which include narcotics and prednisone; or chemotherapy drugs like Cytoxan; or anti-organ rejection drugs like cyclosporine. The most commonly prescribed medications for the patients suffering from the acute form of rheumatoid are Methotrexate, Etanercept, Enbrel or Arava. Since these medications are basically antibiotics they tend to leave reactions on the patients who may then suffer side effects.

Hence, the doctors and the patients must share freely the probable allergies or the other ailments and medicines that a patient may be consuming so that the rheumatoid drugs do not cause any complications. Women in the age group of 20-60 years are susceptible to rheumatoid owing to changes in their hormones that generally take place during this stage. Rheumatoid patients experience the symptoms more in the wintry season.