Cure Your Arthritis

The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis may be very subtle and imprecise at its inception. They vary according to the extent of tissue inflammation. Exhaustion, depression, anorexia, continual low-grade fever, weight loss, and indistinct articular signs are all preliminary signs of RA. If the body tissues are inflamed, the disease is active. When tissue inflammation drops, the disease can be presumed to be in remission.

Remissions can occur on their own or during medication, and can last weeks, months, or years. During remissions, symptoms of the disease ebb, and patients normally feel better. But with the patient going into a relapse, the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis return, which is called a flare. Its course varies individually, and phases of flares and remissions are known to occur.

Also during flares, joints often become red, swollen, painful, and tender. This occurs because the lining tissue of the joint (synovium) is hurt, so excessive joint fluid (synovial fluid) is produced. The synovium also thickens with inflammation (synovitis). Generally, a sign not to be ignored in rheumatoid arthritis is the proportionate pattern of inflammation in multiple joints (both sides of the body are affected). The small joints of both the hands and wrists are often involved. Straightforward errands of the daily routine like turning door knobs and opening jars can become tricky for the period of a flare.

Alternatively, rheumatoid arthritis may erupt abruptly with simultaneous inflammation in multiple joints. They may take place bilaterally and symmetrically, and tend to extend to the wrists, elbows, knees and ankles. The small joints of the feet are also commonly involved. Another common symptom is stiff joints after long periods of inactivity, especially on rising in the morning. Morning stiffness may last for up to an hour or more. The person may also complain of sore joints, initially on movement, but eventually even when they are motionless. Ultimately, the joints of a rheumatoid arthritis patient become deformed or dysfunctional.

To know more about signs that indicate, and the manifestations that accompany the course of rheumatoid arthritis, click on http://www.cureyourarthritis.org>Cure Your Arthritis.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, June 30th, 2007 at 2:03 am and is filed under Rheumatoid Arthritis. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site. Your comments will appear immediately, but I reserve the right to delete innapropriate comments.