Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that typically affects the small joints in your hands and feet. Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body’s tissues and affects the lining of your joints, causing swelling and fluid retention.

Donor requirements for participation:

• You must be clinically diagnosed by a medical professional. Confirmation of the diagnosis and/or treatment must be verified with your physician.
• Be pre-screened to determine eligibility.
• You’re willing to donate plasma through the apheresis process.
• You must have a photo ID and be able to provide your social security number or proof of citizenship.
• You must be at least 18 years old.
• You must weight at least 110 lbs.
• You must disclose if you have ever been diagnosed with Hepatitis C and/or HIV.

For questions and concerns about requirements or participation, contact us at (833) GO-4-CURE.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms may include tender, warm, swollen joints, morning stiffness that may last for hours, firm bumps of tissue under the skin on your arms (rheumatoid nodules) and fatigue, fever and weight loss.

Treatment

Although there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, medication may help alleviate inflammation. Use NSAIDs, steroids, and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) with caution and only at the discretion of your physician, as potential side effects may be serious.

This information is not meant for clinical diagnosis, but as an educational resource derived from Mayo Clinic.