Signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis may include: Tender, warm, swollen joints. Joint stiffness that is usually worse in the mornings and after inactivity. Fatigue, fever and loss of appetite.
The main symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are joint pain, swelling and stiffness. It may also cause more general symptoms, and inflammation in other parts of the body. The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis often develop gradually over several weeks, but some cases can progress quickly over a number of days.
RA usually starts to develop between the ages of 30 and 60. But anyone can develop rheumatoid arthritis. In children and young adults — usually between the ages of 16 and 40 — it's called young-onset rheumatoid arthritis (YORA).
Imaging tests
Your doctor may recommend X-rays to help track the progression of rheumatoid arthritis in your joints over time. MRI and ultrasound tests can help your doctor judge the severity of the disease in your body.
Early signs of RA include joint problems, such as pain, tenderness, swelling, warmth, redness, and stiffness. Additional signs include fatigue, malaise, loss of range of motion, limping, anemia, low-grade fever, disease symmetry, and multiple affected joints.
Stage I: Synovitis
During stage I, you may start having mild symptoms, including joint pain and joint stiffness. Most commonly, this affects the hands and fingers, as well as the ankles and knees. The immune system has begun attacking the joint tissue, causing the synovial membrane to swell and become inflamed.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition, which means it's caused by the immune system attacking healthy body tissue. However, it's not yet known what triggers this. Your immune system normally makes antibodies that attack bacteria and viruses, helping to fight infection.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a lifelong disease. When it's treated, it may go away for a little while, but it usually comes back. It's important to see your doctor as soon as symptoms begin. The earlier you start treatment, the better your outcome.
RA can begin at any age, but the likelihood increases with age. The onset of RA is highest among adults in their sixties. Sex. New cases of RA are typically two-to-three times higher in women than men.
No blood test can definitively prove or rule out a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, but several tests can show indications of the condition. Some of the main blood tests used include: erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) – which can help assess levels of inflammation in the body.
These symptoms are clues to RA: Joint pain, tenderness, swelling or stiffness that lasts for six weeks or longer. Morning stiffness that lasts for 30 minutes or longer. More than one joint is affected.
The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis often develop gradually over several weeks, but some cases can progress quickly over a number of days. The symptoms vary from person to person. They can come and go, and may change over time.
People with RA don't live as long as other people on average. Life expectancy, or how long you may expect to live, is influenced by many things, like your genes, age, medical history, and lifestyle. RA can shorten your life expectancy by an average of 10 years compared to people who don't have the disease.
Take Your Medication
Medications to treat RA include: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen. Corticosteroids, such as prednisone. Conventional DMARDs, which can slow RA progression and possibly save the joints from permanent damage.
Many people can live a healthy, active life with RA. For example, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) have become an effective and widely available medication for people with RA. These drugs work by suppressing the immune system and minimizing the damage that it does to joint tissue.
Rheumatoid arthritis can be life changing. You may need long-term treatment to control the symptoms and joint damage. Depending on how much pain and stiffness you feel and how much joint damage you have, simple daily tasks may become difficult or take longer to do.
In a few people with RA -- about 5% to 10% -- the disease starts suddenly, and then they have no symptoms for many years, even decades. Symptoms that come and go. This happens to about 15% of people with rheumatoid arthritis. You may have periods of few or no problems that can last months between flare-ups.
One of the biggest contributors to rheumatoid arthritis is stress, so keeping stress levels under control is key for anyone who struggles with this autoimmune condition. Older adults with rheumatoid arthritis may experiences new stressors that cause flare-ups. Symptom management is especially important for seniors.
Rheumatoid arthritis also causes swelling of the fingers. They may look sausage-shaped. Other symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis of the hand and wrist include: A soft lump over the back of the hand that moves when lifting the fingers up.
Early symptoms of RA may appear as vague pain with gradual appearance without classic symptoms of joint swelling or tenderness. These unusual symptoms are usually non-specific, and may persist for prolong period. Early articular manifestations of RA may be indistinguishable from other rheumatic diseases.