Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that typically affects the small joints in your hands and feet. Understanding its symptoms and causes is crucial for early detection and treatment.
Signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis may include:
Tender, warm, swollen joints
Joint stiffness, usually worse in the mornings and after periods of inactivity
Fatigue, fever, and loss of appetite
Early stage symptoms of RA, a condition that commonly presents between the ages of 30 and 50 and more often in women, don’t always include swelling. The symptoms can vary significantly, but typically affect the hands, wrists, and feet. Spotting these signs early could lead to an early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
RA typically begins around the age of 30, but can take until someone is in their 60s to fully develop. Factors such as cigarette smoking can increase the risk of developing RA by as much as 2.4%. Unfortunately, RA can also shorten a patient’s lifespan in some cases.
Symptoms may include pain and inflammation in:
Fingers
Hands
Wrists
Knees
Ankles
Feet
Toes
Uncontrolled inflammation can damage cartilage, which acts as a shock absorber in your joints, leading to joint deformity and bone erosion.
People with RA typically experience pain in their hands, knees, and ankles, but symptoms can appear in other parts of the body and vary from person to person. No two cases of RA are alike. Key symptoms include joint pain, tenderness, swelling, or stiffness that lasts for six weeks or longer, morning stiffness that lasts for 30 minutes or longer, affecting more than one joint, and typically first affecting small joints.
For more detailed information, you can visit Mayo Clinic, Healthline, RheumatoidArthritis.org, Cleveland Clinic, Medical News Today, Health, and Arthritis Foundation for more information.
