Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms

RA, or Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms, are due to a chronic disease that affects the joints of the body. Fingers, toes, wrists, elbows, knees and even the back can be affected.

The disease causes the affected joints to become inflamed. Normally, inflammation is the body?s response to infections and other threats but for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, there is no apparent trigger for the condition.

Common Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms

? Stiffness: The affected joint is harder to use and may even have a restricted range of motion. Morning stiffness is a common symptom in both arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis, but patients suffering from RA report that it often takes hours before the joints begin to feel loose.

? Swelling: The affected joints fill with fluid that causes it to become puffy. The puffiness will also contribute to stiffness as well as a loss of motion.

? Pain: Inflammation inside of a joint can make it sensitive and tender. A prolonged inflamed condition can also cause interior damage to the joint, increasing the level of pain.

? Redness and warmth: The skin over and around the affected joints may appear to be reddened, and when touched, may feel warm, exactly like when someone has a fever.

Symptoms Occurring Throughout The Body

Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms can affect more than just the joints in a body. It can cause inflammation in the muscles throughout, and will often mimic flu symptoms when it is present throughout the body.

? Fatigue: A general feeling of weakness, particularly in the muscles, usually combined with stiffness.

? Malaise: An overall feeling of being sick, sometimes accompanied by nausea.

? Loss of appetite: This is usually found in severe cases of Rheumatoid Arthritis, the loss of appetite is thought to be found in conjunction with other flu-like symptoms, like nausea and muscle aches.

? Tightness or pain in the chest: This usually occurs when the inflammation begins to affect either the lining around the heart or lungs, sometimes both at the same time. This is also accompanied by shortness of breath and may be confused with the symptoms of a heart attack.

If left untreated, the inflammation can cause the arteries to become blocked, which will lead to a heart attack for real.

? Hoarseness: Rheumatoid Arthritis can even affect the joint found in the voice box or larynx. This joint, known as the cricoarytenoid joint, will cause the voice to become rougher as it progresses.

? Nodules: These may develop around the most used joints, like knees and elbows. These can be quite prominent, and painful.

? Red eyes: In only about 5% of all RA sufferers, the inflammation can spread to the eyes. When affected, the eyes will be very red, dry and very painful. Over the counter eye drops often prove to be ineffective.

It is important to remember that not everyone who is diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis will have the same symptoms.

The disease affects everyone differently and even after being diagnosed, a patient can experience periods of remission, with no pain at all, followed by a severe attack.

Many people find that their doctor may tell them to try taking pure fish oil to help their body cope with the inflammation. The fish oil seems to do wonders for some individuals, although results do vary and you never know until you try. These affordable health food supplements have become very popular with people who suffer from arthritis.

Another supplement that is becoming well known is Arthrit-Eze which is a combination of specific nutrients that actively target the root causes of arthritis and help to support the good health of the body's joints. Taken together, these two health supplements may be a big help to many people who have arthritis.