Rheumatoid Arthritis (known as Amavata in Ayurveda) is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation and severe pain inthe joints. It can also cause inflammation of the tissue around the joints, as well as in other organs in the body such as eyes, kidneys, heart and lungs. Autoimmune diseases are illnesses that occur when the body's tissues are mistakenly attacked by their own immune system. Patients with autoimmune diseases such as Amavata have antibodies in their blood that target their own body tissues, where they can be associated with inflammation. Because it can affect multiple other organs of the body, Rheumatoid Arthritis, or Amavata is referred to as a systemic illness and is sometimes called rheumatoid disease.