Medically Reviewed
When you have a systemic disease such as RA, joint pain is not limited to one part of the body. Pain may occur in the jaw, the wrist, and many other joints.
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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can come out of the blue or be diagnosed years after it’s first suspected.
Either way, when you or a loved one is diagnosed, it can be confusing and overwhelming to realize how much there is to learn about the disease and its treatments.
1. You re Not Too Young to Have RA
That s what Shelley Fritz, 51, of Kauai, Hawaii, learned when she found out she had rheumatoid arthritis at age 42. Her initial reaction that she was too young to get RA is typical, says rheumatologistRebecca Manno, MD, adjunct assistant professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.