Common Symptoms for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a severe, systemic (affecting the whole body) condition of the immune system which causes it to attack the body’s own joints. This causes inflammation in the joints of the body and damage over time. If not diagnosed and treated quickly and correctly, the disease can claim many years off of a sufferer’s life in addition to their quality of life.

Knowing some of the symptoms of rheutmatic arthritis can help your understanding if you are those close to you have been diagnosed or may be diagnosed with rheumatic arthritis. This article should not be used for self diagnosis (a professional health care provider should always make that decision for your individual case) but rather for supplemental reading for your interest.

Approximately one third of all rheumatoid arthritis sufferers have a mild form of the disease with few flare-ups or symptoms. For others, symptoms may actually progress over time.

Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms are all symmetrical (both sides of the body are affected) and all of the joints of the body may be affected because it is a systemic disease. It causes a severe inflammatory response which can cause intense pain, stiffness and swelling in the joints. Stiffness and swelling may occur after periods of relative inactivity, such as sleep.

Anemia is a common condition associated with rheumatoid arthritis. It is a reduction of red blood cells in the blood.

Fatigue is also a common symptom of the disease. Many patients find it hard to stay active at all and this may make the problem of fatigue even worse. Fatigue associated with rheumatoid arthritis may be caused by anemia. General malaise is also commonly felt by rheumatoid arthritis patients. It is just an uncomfortable, eneasy feeling.

Occasional fever with no other sickness present is also common, as is weight loss due mainly to lack of appetitie.

In about 25% of cases, distinct ‘rheumatoid nodules’ form, which are bumps that form in the skin, and more rarely internally, which can be several millimeters to several centimeters in diameter. They usually form over promintent bony areas on the body such as the elbow and ankle bones. Their exact process of formation is unknown, but they are characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis in many cases.

Other common symptoms for rheumatoid arthritis include a dry mouth and dry eyes.

Some of these common symptoms for rheumatoid arthritis are common to many diseases, so make sure that you inform your doctor if you are experiencing any of them and let him/her decide your treatment for them.