Final answer:
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the erosive and inflammatory joint condition of autoimmune origin. It primarily affects synovial joints causing pain, stiffness, and swelling with a usual onset between 40 to 50 years. Diagnosis and management involve various tests and treatments aimed to alleviate symptoms and control the disease progression. The correct answewr is option C .
Step-by-step explanation:
An erosive and inflammatory joint condition known to be of autoimmune origin is called rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA is a chronic inflammatory disorder primarily affecting the synovial joints such as hands, feet, and cervical spine. It is characterized by swollen, stiff, and painful joints due to the immune system mistakenly attacking healthy joint tissues. This autoimmune disease results in cartilage breakdown leading to bones rubbing against each other, which causes pain.
RA typically occurs more frequently in individuals with declining estrogen levels, especially post-menopausal people, with a common onset age between 40 to 50 years. Researchers are actively studying RA to understand its exact cause and have linked it to environmental, genetic, and hormonal factors. Diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis involves evaluating symptoms, such as joint inflammation and pain, along with using X-ray and MRI imaging, and blood tests that may include erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor (RF), and anticyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody levels.
Although there is no cure for RA, various treatments exist to alleviate symptoms and slow down the disease progression. These include exercise, anti-inflammatory medications, pain relievers, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), and potentially surgery.