Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disorder primarily affecting joints, often leading to severe symptoms in hands and fingers. Key signs include pain, discoloration, stiffness, weakness, joint deformity, grinding sensations, and nodule development. The condition typically starts in smaller joints, such as those in the fingers and toes, and can progress to more significant joint damage.
Tender, warm, and swollen joints are common in RA, with joint stiffness usually worse in the mornings and after periods of inactivity. Additionally, RA patients might experience fatigue, fever, and loss of appetite. This disease occurs when the immune system erroneously attacks the lining of the joints, leading to fluid accumulation and painful swelling, which can result in permanent damage.
In the hands, RA can present various symptoms, including soft lumps over the back of the hand, creaking sounds during movement, and fingers shifting towards the pinky finger. Swelling around the affected joints causes pain or tenderness, with the joints often feeling warm to the touch. Symmetrical swelling, meaning it occurs in the same joints on both the right and left hands, is typical of RA.
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