Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms

Rheumatoid Arthritis is an auto immune disease, which is characterized by inflammation in the lining of the joints and only affects 1 to 2 percent of the population. This disease often begins with middle aged individuals and is more common in women than men; however, don't be fooled… rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can also develop in children and young adults.

Be that as it may, one thing is for sure, and that is that, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease where the body's own immune system attacks itself. Though medical knowledge till now is rather limited about the abnormal immune system response, it has at least been established that cells of the immune system travel freely all over the body through the bloodstream resulting a non-localized disease condition. The manifestation thus starts with one joint first, then spreading to other joints. Instances of sudden inflammation and pain in different joints simultaneously are not uncommon though.

Some research concerning the early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis has been done in hopes of finding early warning signs of the disease in the bloodstream. As the disease progresses, rheumatoid arthritis symptoms sometimes worsen to the point of joint deformity.

You may often experience significant stiffness in the morning, in and around the joints, lasting for more than thirty minutes, swelling in the wrists, knuckles, or the individual finger joints. You may also experience a feeling of warmth over the inflamed joints. Rheumatoid arthritis can affect many other joints, such as the jaw, elbows, shoulders, feet and ankles.

Although it is understood what causes rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, it is unclear what causes the disease itself. It is believed that the auto-immune system, which normally attacks and destroys harmful bacteria and viruses in the body, goes "haywire," and attacks healthy cells of the body, causing inflammation or swelling and stiffness in the joints as well as other parts of the body.

There is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, however, the common goal is to reduce inflammation, relieve pain, stop or slow down joint damage and improve the ability to function on a daily basis. There are many exciting new advances in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

So there is simply no reason not to seek treatment. If you believe that you are experiencing some of the common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, then set up an appointment with your healthcare provider and discuss your symptoms. Early and aggressive treatment is the best plan of attack when attempting to get hold of this disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis usually affects the same type of joints on both sides of the body as is it is caused by the chemicals that are flowing through the bloodstream. People suffering from rheumatoid arthritis symptoms may feel stiffness all through the day on account of the swelling of the joints.