Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis

The disease is marked by a number of symptoms; the most apparent symptoms are the painful joint and muscle aches and stiffness especially in the morning and after sedentary periods; tiredness, loss of appetite, and a low fever are also signs of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

The disease is also marked by periods of remission and flare-ups; remission is when the symptoms
alleviate leaving the person feeling normal; flare-ups are when the diseases symptoms return, the periods of remission and flare-ups differ for each person that suffers from Rheumatoid Arthritis, but are considered a normal cycle in the disease.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is also a systemic disease, which means that it can also affect other organs in the body, causing other problems including eye and mouth dryness due to gland inflammation, the tissue surrounding the lungs and heart can also occur with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis can also cause anemia and decrease the number of white blood cells. Lumps under the skin around the fingers and elbows can also occur and often become infected. Rheumatoid Arthritis can also cause inflammation of the blood vessels, however this is rare.