Rheumatoid Arthritis : Diagnosis And Symptoms

Rheumatoid arthritis afflicts millions of people and can significantly reduce one’s quality of life. The early symptoms for rheumatoid arthritis include pain, redness and swelling in the small joints (typically the hands and/or feet) on both sides of the body.

Be that as it may, one thing is for sure, and that is that, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease where the body’s own immune system attacks itself. Though medical knowledge till now is rather limited about the abnormal immune system response, it has at least been established that cells of the immune system travel freely all over the body through the bloodstream resulting a non-localized disease condition. The manifestation thus starts with one joint first, then spreading to other joints. Instances of sudden inflammation and pain in different joints simultaneously are not uncommon though.

Symptoms for rheumatoid arthritis can differ from individual to individual, and there is no single test for diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis. The most common complaint heard by medical practitioners is the daily joint pain and the significant level of pain, both of which can adversely impact your quality of life and ability to take care of even the most basic daily tasks.

You may often experience significant stiffness in the morning, in and around the joints, lasting for more than thirty minutes, swelling in the wrists, knuckles, or the individual finger joints. You may also experience a feeling of warmth over the inflamed joints. Rheumatoid arthritis can affect many other joints, such as the jaw, elbows, shoulders, feet and ankles.

Although it is understood what causes rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, it is unclear what causes the disease itself. It is believed that the auto-immune system, which normally attacks and destroys harmful bacteria and viruses in the body, goes “haywire,” and attacks healthy cells of the body, causing inflammation or swelling and stiffness in the joints as well as other parts of the body.

Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms usually affect both sides of the body at the same time. Sometimes, three sets of joints are affected at a time. Low fever, fatigue, loss of appetite and malaise are the most common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Treating rheumatoid arthritis symptoms typically consists of treating the pain and reducing the inflammation. In most cases the drugs of choice are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or (NSAIDs), but these may have harsh side effects including damage to the stomach lining and kidneys.

Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms typically come and go, sometimes over a person’s entire lifespan, and they may range from non-existent or mild to moderate or severe. Different drugs and treatments may be prescribed depending on the severity of the rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and the stage of progression of the disease.