Consumer Health: How rheumatoid arthritis can affect your lungs

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body's tissues. Unlike the wear-and-tear damage of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis affects the lining of your joints, causing a painful swelling that eventually can result in bone erosion and joint deformity. The inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis is what can damage other parts of the body as well, including the lungs. Occasionally, lung problems surface before the joint inflammation and…
Source: News from Mayo Clinic - Category: Databases & Libraries Source Type: news