| Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most | | | | joints but many other parts of the body as |
| common variations of arthritis, and it | | | | well. Inflammation can occur in the lungs, |
| usually affects those between the ages of 25 | | | | giving rise to a condition called pleurisy. |
| and 55, most of them women. It's an | | | | Inflammation of glands in the mouth and in |
| autoimmune and systemic disease that gives | | | | the eyes can cause mouth dryness and eye |
| rise to many rheumatoid arthritis symptoms | | | | irritation, also called Sjogren's syndrome. |
| and signs. The most overriding of all these | | | | Inflammation can calso occur (though quite |
| symptoms is the unremitting pain and | | | | rarely) in the blood vessels and the |
| discomfort that sufferers experience on a | | | | pericardium, or the membrane enclosing the |
| regular basis, and which most often restrict | | | | heart. Another complication of rheumatoid |
| their ability to move about freely and | | | | arthritis is anemia, where the bone marrow is |
| adversely affect their quality of | | | | unable to produce the adequate amount of red |
| life.Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms usually | | | | blood cells needed to keep it healthy.The |
| manifest themselves in the small joints of | | | | disease does not only affect the body, many |
| the feet and fingers, although they can | | | | of the symptoms manifest themselves in |
| appear in joints in other locations as well, | | | | psychological ways as well. For instance, |
| such as the hips and knees. In autoimmune | | | | patients complain of a feeling of |
| diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, the | | | | listlessness or an overall feeling of not |
| immune system misfires and turns on healthy | | | | being well. This condition is also known by |
| cells and tissues -- in this case, the | | | | the term malaise. Getting tired easily, a |
| synovium or the lining of the joints. Pain | | | | feeling of fatigue, loss of appetite, and |
| and inflammation are the most prominent | | | | weight loss -- these are all rheumatoid |
| results of this "friendly fire" by the immune | | | | arthritis symptoms and contribute greatly to |
| system.The majority of patients awake to | | | | the patient's perception of a reduction in |
| stiff and painful joints in the morning, | | | | her quality of life.It is important to |
| which can last for an hour or more. A long | | | | remember that no two persons will have |
| period of inactivity or rest can also trigger | | | | exactly the same symptoms. Just as each |
| this pain and stiffness. The disease usually | | | | person's bodily make-up and metabolisms are |
| affects more than just one joint and appears | | | | different, so too will rheumatoid arthritis |
| bilaterally or symmetrically. That is, a | | | | symptoms will become manifest in each |
| person can experience symptoms in the fingers | | | | individual. Some men and women experience |
| of both her left and right hands or the toes | | | | sudden flare-ups of the disease, with the |
| of both her left and right feet. It becomes | | | | symptoms disappearing after several days or |
| harder to move the affected joint in its full | | | | weeks while others will experience continuous |
| range of motion, and even the least amount of | | | | pain and swelling for several years. Aside |
| pressure on it can cause a lot of pain. Also, | | | | from the constant pain, long-term rheumatoid |
| the skin covering the joint can become red | | | | arthritis that is left untreated will lead to |
| and inflamed, and at times the patient can | | | | gross deformities and permanent joint |
| feel either a tingling sensation or numbness | | | | damage.Knowing about the various rheumatoid |
| in her skin. A low-grade fever is common | | | | arthritis symptoms will help each person be |
| among sufferers of this disease.Small nodules | | | | aware of what to look out for, especially if |
| or 'tophi' appear under the skin of about 25 | | | | she is already predisposed to the disease. It |
| percent of people with the disease. These | | | | will save the trouble and expense that could |
| lumps and bumps are about the size of a pea | | | | result from misdiagnosis and guesswork. A |
| and are usually painless. They are the | | | | person who presents with one or more of these |
| results of inflammation and scar tissue, and | | | | symptoms should seek immediate medical |
| can appear in areas such as the arms, ankles, | | | | attention so that the progress of the disease |
| and elbows. Even though the tophi are not | | | | can be slowed down or even halted at the |
| painful, they should not be dismissed because | | | | earliest possible provides you with |
| they could indicate other, more serious | | | | information on rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, |
| conditions than rheumatoid | | | | arthritis help, osteoarthritis, psoriatic |
| arthritis.Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic | | | | arthritis, causes of gout, and gout |
| disease, meaning it affects not just the | | | | treatments. |