Common Symptoms for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Common symptoms for rheumatoid arthritis usually develop with an insidious (slow, sneaky) onset. It often involves the small joints of the hands, wrists, and feet initially. This is usually in a symmetrical pattern, where the same joints are involved on the right and left sides. Because RA is an inflammatory disease of the synovium (lining) of the joints, this synovium becomes reddened, warm, swollen, and oozes extra fluid inside the joints. This causes the appearance of joint swelling, limited motion, warmth and tenderness to the touch.

Systemic symptoms can also be a feature of rheumatoid arthritis. This can include fatigue, loss of appetite with weight loss, low- grade fever, muscle and joint aches, and often depression. Rheumatoid disease can also affect the heart, lungs, and liver. The production of red blood cells can be affected, causing a mild anemia. Rubbery, non-tender nodules can appear on the forearms and the backs of the hands, known as “rheumatoid nodules.”

Eventually rheumatoid arthritis leads to joint deformity and loss of function. There are typical rheumatoid hand and feet deformities that include subluxation (near dislocation) and dislocation of the joints of the hand, particularly in the small finger joints and the metatarso-phalangeal joints where the fingers join the palm. Permanent stiffness, muscle wasting, and joint fusions can also occur. These problems can make treatment particularly challenging