Rheumatoid arthritis is becoming increasingly common and is one of the worst possible health conditions. Arthritis is of seven types and rheumatoid arthritis is one of those, which falls under the autoimmune category. Osteoarthritis is still the most common forms of arthritis found amongst people, affecting their joints due to age factors, trauma or specific infections. Rheumatoid arthritis is different as it leads to a situation of the body turning against itself, though the condition is triggered off by a series of factors. The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are many, and initially start with mild aches and pains, but over time take severe forms.

Rheumatoid arthritis, described in a nutshell, is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disorder. The joints inflame and degenerate gradually, causing pain and discomfort throughout. The first symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are usually inflammation and pain in fingers and toes. While the condition mostly affects the joints, about 15% of the patients develop extra-articular (external to the joints) rheumatoid arthritis as well.

In general, the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are not uniform, rising up and dying down sporadically. This is known as ?flare-ups.?The symptoms can appear day or night, but the swelling and pain are often at their worst during the morning, just after waking. Since you move around during the day, or at least try to, and the joints grow less stiffened, the symptoms ease out by afternoon and often reduce dramatically by nighttime.

After rheumatoid arthritis starts to diffuse around the human system, it generally affects all the joints, including shoulders, elbows, jaws and hips. The swelling commonly affect in pairs, often causing discomfort in both elbows or both knees etc. The typical symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are joint swelling, pain and stiffness, mostly seeing with additional redness and a faint burning sensation around the joints.

A set of symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, are referred to as secondary symptoms. These are connected to general health conditions as a response to the pain. These could be loss of appetite, anxiety, stress, depression, anemia, nodules under the skin, and a general feeling of being ill. Over 25% of the patients complain of skin nodules, specifically in the forearms and in the elbows. Though painless, they are small lumps that can be felt and sometimes seen as bumps on the skin. Anemia is a condition of inadequate red blood cells to carry oxygen to the whole body, and it leads to fatigue, and laziness. This is found in over 80% of the patients.

In some cases, fever and weight loss is common, because of all the other symptoms combining to create general ill-health. Sleep deprivation, constant pain and weakness are also seeing in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Consistent physical ailments are common in rheumatoid arthritis patients, because of how it limits physical capabilities. Other symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include swelling of the heart and lung linings, tear glands, blood vessels and salivary glands.

The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis point to a series of risk factors like age, gender, genetic history and harmful habits like smoking. Women in the 40-60 age group are at a higher risk. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is rare but not unheard of. This condition is generally not hereditary, but dormant genes can flare up with certain triggers.