What’s the difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis?

Though osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis both cause inflammation in your joints, they’re different conditions with different causes, symptoms and treatments. 

Osteoarthritis is caused by wear-and-tear of the cartilage around your joints and normally affects people over 60 years of age. 

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your joints. It can affect anyone at any age, but it’s most common in people aged 30 to 60.