Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder that primarily affects joints. It typically results in warm, swollen, and painful joints. Pain and stiffness often worsen following rest. Most commonly, the wrist and hands are involved, with the same joints typically involved on both sides of the body. Symptoms: Tender, warm, swollen joints; Joint stiffness that is usually worse in the mornings and after inactivity; Fatigue, fever and loss of appetite. As the disease progresses, symptoms often spread to the wrists, knees, ankles, elbows, hips and shoulders. In most cases, symptoms occur in the same joints on both sides of your body. Rheumatoid arthritis can affect many nonjoint structures, including: Skin, Eyes, Lungs, Heart, Kidneys, Salivary glands, Nerve tissue, Bone marrow, Blood vessels. Over time, rheumatoid arthritis can cause joints to deform and shift out of place. Causes: being a woman; having a family history of RA; factors that may trigger onset of RA include: exposure to certain types of bacteria, such as those associated with periodontal disease; having a history of viral infections like infection with the Epstein-Barr virus, which causes mononucleosis; trauma or injury, such as bone breakage or fracture, dislocation of a joint, and ligament damage; smoking cigarettes; obesity. Complications: Osteoporosis, Rheumatoid nodules, Dry eyes and mouth, infections, Carpal tunnel syndrome, Abnormal body composition, Heart problems, Lung disease, Lymphoma.