Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis

The joints affected by rheumatoid arthritis are usually the wrists, those finger joints that are closest to the hand, the elbow joints, the knees, the neck, the hips, etc.

Rheumatoid arthritis manifestation is always symmetric. This means that if it is manifested on one knee, it will be seen in the other knee as well. The symptoms also vary from one patient to another.

The following are the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

• One of the most common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis is that the affected joint(s) swell up and have a tender feel. This is because of the inflammation of the tissue inside.
• The patient experiences pain in the swollen joints.
• The patient may feel tired easily.
• Other symptoms include a feeling of being unwell, occasional fever, stiffness.
• The patient may experience pain or stiffness of the joints in the morning, or after an extended rest session. This pain or stiffness usually lasts up to 30 minutes.

Rheumatoid Arthritis can be episodic

As mentioned earlier, it is not necessary that the patients display these symptoms continuously. In fact, most patients have episodes of rheumatoid arthritis. When the affected tissues get inflamed the patient experiences the symptoms described here. Also, all patients need not display all these symptoms at the same time.

Sometimes the symptoms can be seen in other body parts besides the joints as well. The following are some of the areas besides the joints that rheumatoid arthritis can affect.

• Rheumatoid arthritis affecting the eyes and mouth can cause the glands in these areas to reduce secretion of the fluids, thereby causing dryness in these areas. This is also called Sjogren's syndrome.
• Rheumatoid arthritis can also cause a reduction in the RBC count, thereby causing anemia.
• Rheumatoid arthritis can also lead to a reduced White Blood Cell count. This makes the patient susceptible to infections, as the WBC contains the immune cells of the body. This is also called Felty's syndrome.
• Another form of rheumatoid arthritis inflammation is seen in the vascular bodies, i.e. the blood vessels. This condition is called vasculitis, and can hamper the supply of blood to the tissues, causing the tissues to die prematurely.
• Rheumatoid arthritis can also occur in the lining of the lung, causing pain in the chest and coughing fits. This is called pleuritis.
• Rheumatoid arthritis can also occur in the region around the heart. This condition is called pericarditis and results in chest pain which changes in intensity as one changes posture, from sitting to lying down and so on.

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