National Arthritis Awareness Month

Welcome to National Arthritis Awareness Month. Here at RheumatoidArthritis.net, we want to take time every single day this month to help our community raise awareness about rheumatoid arthritis. To that end, we will be sharing one important fact per day about the condition. To help spread awareness, please feel free to share, tweet, and/or comment on any or all of these 31 topics.

Today - the first day of Arthritis Awareness month - we are sharing this list in its entirety. Be sure to keep an eye out for the post of the day on Facebook and Twitter as a simple way to spread the word!

1. RA is not a disease of old age. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/what-is-ra/myths-and-facts/
2. RA impacts much more than bones and joints. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/ra-impacts-much-just-bones-joints/
3. RA is NOT caused by unhealthy eating, excess weight gain, and stress - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/what-is-ra/myths-and-facts/
4. Inflammation is a key feature of RA associated with pain and swelling of joints. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/symptoms/inflammation-of-joints/
5. RA increases your risk of cardiovascular disease. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/top-5-facts-know-ra/
6. Staying active is challenging but can be useful in managing symptoms affecting people with RA, such as fatigue, pain, & weakness - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/exercise/
7. Juvenile arthritis is the most common rheumatologic disease among children. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/what-is-ra/juvenile-ra/
8. The cause of RA is unknown. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/causes/
9. RA affects approximately 1.3 million in the US, and about 1% of the world population. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/what-is-ra/ra-statistics/
10. There are four stages of RA. How RA progresses and expresses itself varies widely from patient to patient. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/what-is-ra/stages-and-progression/
11. RA nodules are one of the most common manifestations of RA that occurs outside of the joints. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/what-is-ra/ra-nodules/
12. Most patients with RA experience periods when the disease worsens, called flares. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/what-is-ra/ra-flare/
13. RA tends to be progressive, often having a long-term impact on functioning, and considerable social & economic cost. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/what-is-ra/social-and-economic-impact/
14. Diagnosis of RA cannot necessarily be made using simple blood tests and x-ray - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/what-is-ra/myths-and-facts/
15. Studies have found that patients with RA are at high risk for depression & anxiety. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living-with-ra/
16. RA is different from osteoarthritis. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/what-is-ra/myths-and-facts/
17. It can be particularly difficult when the symptoms of RA interfere with our ability to carry out work responsibilities. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living-with-ra/ra-in-the-workplace/
18. Many individuals with RA report difficulty sleeping. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living-with-ra/ra-and-sleep/
19. People with RA face increased risk for emotional problems & stress; it’s important to have tools to deal with these issues. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living-with-ra/managing-emotional-problems-and-stress/
20. The prevalence of RA among women is approximately double that in men. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/women-health/
21. One study estimated that as many as 1/3 of people with RA are forced to stop working within 10 years of being diagnosed. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living-with-ra/ra-in-the-workplace/
22. When it comes to RA, prognosis (predicting the course RA will take) depends on disease severity & how successful treatment is. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/what-is-ra/myths-and-facts/
23. There are a number of comorbid conditions that tend to appear with RA. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/medical-conditions-occurring-along-with-ra/
24. RA can NOT be cleared up by making lifestyle changes or just using pain medications. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/what-is-ra/myths-and-facts/
25. Juvenile arthritis affects approximately 300,000 children under the age of 18 years in the US. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/what-is-ra/juvenile-ra/
26. Oral health and hygiene are important for everybody, but especially for people living with rheumatoid arthritis. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/oral-hygiene-protect-yourself-against-periodontal-disease/
27. The earliest joints to be affected by inflammation in RA are usually the hands (including wrists) and feet. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/symptoms/inflammation-of-joints/
28. A range of treatment approaches in RA include drug therapy, nutrition, psychosocial interventions, surgical interventions, & more. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/treatment/
29. Having rheumatoid arthritis forces us to seek out doctors in a variety of specialties and subspecialties. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/finding-excellent-doctors/
30. For many patients, the chronic fatigue and pain associated with RA interferes significantly with the ability to function normally. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/what-is-ra/social-and-economic-impact/
31. RA can even cause “brain fog” or more scientifically, cognitive dysfunction. - https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/just-head-impact-ra-mental-functioning/

Please feel free to share via Facebook, Twitter, or any other way in which you are moved to share. Thank you for participating in arthritis awareness month with RheumatoidArthritis.net!