More than only your joints may be impacted by the chronic inflammatory disease known as rheumatoid arthritis. Skin, eyes, lungs, heart, and blood vessels are just a few of the systems in the body that might sustain harm from the illness in certain individuals.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that happens when your immune system unintentionally targets the tissues in your own body.
Rheumatoid arthritis affects the lining of your joints, generating a painful swelling that can eventually lead to bone erosion and joint deformity, unlike the wear-and-tear deterioration of osteoarthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis-related inflammation is what causes harm to other bodily components as well. Even though there are now many more treatment choices available due to new drugs, severe rheumatoid arthritis can still cause physical limitations.
Signs and symptoms
Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and signs can include:
- Swelling, hot, and sensitive joints
- Stiffness in the joints that normally gets worse in the mornings and after sitting still
- Weariness, fever, and appetite loss
Smaller joints, especially those connecting your toes and fingers to your feet, are typically the first to be affected by early-stage rheumatoid arthritis.
Symptoms frequently extend to the wrists, knees, ankles, elbows, hips, and shoulders as the illness worsens. Most of the time, the same joints on both sides of your body experience problems.
Rheumatoid arthritis patients also experience non-joint signs and symptoms in about 40% of cases. Potentially impacted areas include:
- Skin
- Eyes
- Lungs
- Heart
- Kidneys
- Salivary glands
- Nerve tissue
- Bone marrow
- Blood vessels
The signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can vary widely in intensity and sometimes appear and go. times of relative remission, during which the pain and swelling subside or vanish, alternate with times of heightened disease activity, known as flares. Rheumatoid arthritis can cause joints to move and distort over time.
The signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can vary widely in intensity and sometimes appear and go. times of relative remission, during which the pain and swelling subside or vanish, alternate with times of heightened disease activity, known as flares. Rheumatoid arthritis can cause joints to move and distort over time.
When to visit a physician
If your joint pain and swelling are ongoing, schedule a visit with your physician.
