Symptoms can be mild to severe and develop in three times as many women than men. The joints then become inflamed, and the cartilage, tissues and bone surfaces are destroyed. Scar tissue develops, causing the bones to fuse together. Joints become gnarled and deformed. Rheumatoid arthritis, also called rheumatism or synovitis, affects people from ages 25-50 with women developing it two to three times more than men.
Damage can progress to include heart, eyes, lungs, nerves and muscles.
This damage can also occur in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis sufferers who are made up of those 18 and under, with six times as many girls as boys afflicted. It is much less common than the other two types of arthritis discussed above. Infectious arthritis can be overlooked in treatment of the injury or illness that caused it. If left untreated, infectious arthritis can cause permanent damage.