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RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS SYMPTOMRheumatoid Arthritis symptom can vary in severity and not everyone with Rheumatoid arthritis will have the same symptoms. Generally, if you're experiencing persistent pain and stiffness when getting up in the morning and pain, tenderness and swelling in one or more joints, you should see your physician. Rheumatoid arthritis symptom is quite unique making it different from other kinds of arthritis such as Osteoarthritis. For example, the joint symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis generally occur in a symmetrical pattern. This means, that if one knee or hand is involved, the other one is as well. Rheumatoid Arthritis usually does not affect the knuckles closest to the fingernails while those with Osteoarthritis often experience pain, swelling, tenderness and warmth in that specific area of the hand. Since most researchers agree that Rheumatoid Arthritis is caused by a disorder of the body's immune system, the symptoms can also show up in other areas of the body. Along with the most common symptom……. (Inflamed joints that are swollen and tender and may also be warm, red, painful and difficult to move), Rheumatoid arthritis symptom also includes a general feeling of sickness, lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss, depression and often a low-grade fever. Anemia, a drop in the number of red blood cells to below normal levels, is also a symptom in some cases. Rheumatoid nodules, lumps of tissue that form beneath the skin often over the elbow, feet and fingers, are another symptom of chronic Rheumatoid Arthritis. The disease can also affect the body's organs. Symptoms can include pericarditis, an inflammation of the lining surrounding the heart, and pleurisies, a similar inflammation of the lining that surrounds the lung. Another less common symptom is a dryness of the eyes and mouth due to inflamed tear and salivary glands. This condition is known as Sicca syndrome or Sjogren's syndrome. The main rheumatoid arthritis symptom is joint stiffness in the morning, often in the hands or feet. Stiffness that persists for an hour or more, or swelling and pain that lasts for more than six weeks, may be indicative of rheumatoid arthritis. Joint discomfort is typically symmetrical, i.e. both hands will hurt or feel stiff, not just one. Early rheumatoid arthritis symptoms also may include fever, excessive tiredness, or pea-sized lumps called "nodules" that can be felt under the skin. Other possible rheumatoid arthritis symptom includes anemia, appetite loss, and the accumulation of fluid in the ankles or behind the knee. In children, symptoms may include shaking chills and a pink rash may follow the characteristic painful and swollen joints. List of symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis: The list of general symptoms mentioned in various sources for Rheumatoid arthritis includes: • Joint pain • Joint swelling • Joint stiffness • Morning joint stiffness • Joint stiffness after inactivity • Joint tenderness • Warm joints • Ankle arthritis • Foot arthritis • Finger arthritis • Wrist arthritis • Symmetrical joint pattern - both sides of the body afflicted. • Morning stiffness • Weight loss • Fatigue • Decreased appetite • Occasional fever • Bouts of mild fever • Malaise • Episodic flares with remissions • Variable symptoms - different people experience different effects • Skin bumps (rheumatoid nodules) - about 25% of cases get these • Anemia • Neck pain • Dry eyes • Dry mouth • Tiredness • Afternoon fatigue • Afternoon malaise Primary rheumatoid arthritis symptom includes- • Tender, warm, swollen joints. • Symmetrical pattern. For example, if one knee is affected, the other one is also. • Joint inflammation often affecting the wrist and finger joints closest to the hand; other affected joints can include those of the neck, shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, ankles, and feet. • Fatigue, occasional fever, a general sense of not feeling well (malaise). • Pain and stiffness lasting for more than 30 minutes in the morning or after a long rest. • Symptoms that can last for many years. • Symptoms in other parts of the body besides the joints. • Flu like symptoms. • Fluid build up. • Nodules or lumps are formed. Joint symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include: • Painful, swollen, tender, stiff joints. The same joints on both sides of the body (symmetrical) are usually affected, especially the hands, wrists, elbows, feet knees, or neck. • Morning stiffness. Joint stiffness may develop after long periods of sleeping or sitting and lasts at least 60 minutes and often up to several hours. • Bumps (nodules). Rheumatoid nodules ranging in size from a pea to a mothball develop in nearly one-third of people who have rheumatoid arthritis. Nodules usually form over pressure points in the body such as the elbows, knuckles, spine, and lower leg bones. |
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