Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can be a lifetime (chronic) disease, but it doesn’t have to rule your life. Current treatments, including new therapies, offer many RA patients very good symptom relief. A combination of treatment and health behavior activities can help people with RA remain active following diagnosis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an unpredictable condition. Symptoms can vary widely from person to person and even within the same person over the course of the disease. Some may experience constant or near constant symptoms, while others may have only occasional flare-ups. RA can progress over time, and in some cases result in permanent disability and deformity.

Although RA remains a serious disease, the outlook has dramatically improved for many people because of recent developments in treatment. These newer medications, such as conventional DMARDs (disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs) and biologic DMARDs ("biologics"), can help slow or prevent disease progression as well as reduce signs and symptoms and improve a person's ability to do daily activities. Once diagnosed, discuss your RA symptoms with your doctor to determine what type of treatment plan is right for you.

If you have been diagnosed with RA, talk to your doctor regularly to make sure you're doing all you can to most effectively manage your condition.