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    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Guide
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      • What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
      • Types
      • RA in Women
      • RA in People of Color
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      • Joint Stiffness
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      • Understanding RA Treatment
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    • Complications
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    • View Full Guide

    Complications

    Learn how RA affects your body, problems to watch for, and how to prevent complications.

    1. What You Need to Know About RA Joint Deformities

      RA medications may prevent, slow, or stop the damage that leads to deformed joints.

    2. What to Know About Swan Neck Deformity?

      Swan neck deformity is a hand deformity in which your fingers are bent abnormally. 

    3. Trigger Finger

      Trigger finger is a painful condition that makes your fingers or thumb catch or lock when you bend them.

    4. When RA Causes Skin Problems

      RA mainly affects the joints. But it, and many of the medications that treat it, can also affect the skin.

    5. What Are Rheumatoid Nodules?

      Rheumatoid nodules are firm lumps under the skin. They tend to form close to joints in people affected by RA.

    6. Pannus and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

      Pannus is a growth in your joints that can cause pain, swelling, and damage to your bones, cartilage, and other tissue.

    7. How Are Heart Disease and RA Linked?

      RA makes you more likely to get heart disease or have a heart attack. But you can lower your chances.

    8. Rheumatoid Arthritis and Cholesterol: What to Know

      If you have RA you have almost double the chance of developing cardiovascular disease compared with people without RA.

    9. Rheumatoid Arthritis and Diabetes: What's the Link?

      Did you know that if you have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you’re more likely to also get diabetes?

    10. Rheumatoid Arthritis and Stroke

      RA increases risk for a stroke. This happens when a blood vessel that carries oxygen to your brain is blocked or bursts.

    11. Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia

      Only about 2% of adult Americans have fibromyalgia. But it's more common among people who have RA.

    12. Rheumatoid Arthritis and Neuropathy

      One common complication of RA is peripheral neuropathy. That’s when RA swelling and irritation can lead to nerve damage.

    13. Can Rheumatoid Arthritis Cause Brain Fog?

      Some doctors believe RA has an effect on cognitive function -- the ability to learn, think, or complete memory tasks.

    14. Rheumatoid Arthritis and Hearing Loss

      Research suggests that you might be more likely to lose some hearing compared to someone who doesn’t have RA.

    15. RA and Inflammatory Bowel Disease

      Having RA doesn’t necessarily mean you’re more likely to get IBD. If it does happen, it’s not clear why.

    16. What Is Felty's Syndrome?

      Some people with RA get a rare disorder, Felty's Syndrome. It causes an enlarged spleen and a very low white blood count.

    17. What Is Rheumatoid Cachexia?

      Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can lead to a metabolic state called rheumatoid cachexia, or muscle wasting.

    18. The RA-Osteoporosis Link

      RA raises your risk of getting osteoporosis, a condition that makes your bones porous and lose density and strength.

    19. RA and Periodontal Disease: What's the Link?

      RA and gum disease are seemingly unrelated conditions. But research shows that the two have certain bacteria in common.

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