Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that typically affects the small joints in your hands and feet. Understanding the early signs and symptoms of RA is crucial for early intervention and management. Here’s what you need to know about the initial signs of rheumatoid arthritis.
Early Signs and Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis often start with a general feeling of pain or stiffness in the joints. This discomfort usually first appears in smaller joints, particularly those that connect your fingers to your hands and your toes to your feet. As RA progresses, symptoms often extend to the wrists, knees, ankles, elbows, hips, and shoulders.
Besides joint pain and stiffness, early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can include bodily weakness. After a period, you might notice additional symptoms such as joint swelling. These symptoms can vary from person to person. RA is characterized by joint inflammation, commonly affecting the hands, fingers, feet, and knees. Early signs include problems like pain, tenderness, swelling, warmth, redness, and stiffness in the affected joints.
One of the early indicators of RA is fatigue, which is more than just feeling tired. It’s a profound sense of tiredness or lack of energy, impacting you physically, emotionally, or mentally. The fatigue associated with RA is often more severe than what you might experience from mere lack of sleep.
While the main symptoms of arthritis, in general, include joint pain and stiffness, Rheumatoid arthritis is distinguished from other forms like osteoarthritis. In RA, it’s not just the wearing down of cartilage but an autoimmune response causing joint inflammation and damage.
Understanding these early signs is key to seeking timely care and potentially slowing the progression of the disease. If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s important to consult a healthcare professional for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment plan.
