Rheumatoid Arthritis : Diagnosis and Symptoms

Rheumatoid arthritis afflicts millions of people and can significantly reduce one's quality of life. The early symptoms for rheumatoid arthritis include pain, redness and swelling in the small joints (typically the hands and/or feet) on both sides of the body.

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.

If early warning signs can be identified before the common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis appear, then doctors may be able to prevent the disease from progressing to the point where joint deformity occurs. But, much research is still necessary before this can happen. Currently doctors are only able to make a confirmed diagnosis after the early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis appear.

Rheumatoid arthritis occurs in a symmetrical pattern, for example if the right knee is affected, then the left knee will be affected also. Although it is quite common for an individual to be more inflamed and affected than another. Extreme fatigue, weight loss, fever, swollen, red and warm joints and an overall feeling of malaise are common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Some less common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include: inflammation of the lining around the heart and lungs, inflammation of the tear and salivary glands, and in rare cases, general inflammation of the lungs and blood vessels. While the early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are confined to the joints, other systems of the body can also be affected, particularly if it is not treated.

Treating rheumatoid arthritis symptoms typically consists of treating the pain and reducing the inflammation. In most cases the drugs of choice are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or (NSAIDs), but these may have harsh side effects including damage to the stomach lining and kidneys.

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.

Article Source: http://www.articlegoldmine.com

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