RA causes the joints to be swollen, tender, and stiff.
Additional symptoms include fatigue and fever.
Symptoms of RA typically come on gradually and will worsen over weeks and months.
Illustration by Julie Bang for Verywell Health
They will improve over time with treatment.
Illustration by Julie Bang for Verywell Health
How Do Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms Start?
It can affect the fingers, hands, wrists, toes, feet, and ankles.
Fatigue is the body’s response toinflammation.
Mostpeople with RA experience fatigueand find it to be one of the most challenging symptoms of the condition.
For example, inflammation and pain may lower your appetite.
You may take over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to relieve pain.
NSAIDs commonly cause nausea and bloating that may affect your appetite.
Morning stiffnessis another early sign of RA.
You might find your joints stiff and immobile when you first wake up.
Feeling
Joint pain in early RA starts as mild and intermittent discomfort.
The most commonly affected joints in RA are:
Joint symptoms in RA can occur with rest and movement.
Symptoms include joint swelling, burning sensations around joints, and warmth and redness around affected joints.
It causes you to feel depleted mentally and physically.
You may experience periods offlare-ups, when symptoms are present, and periods ofremission, when symptoms ease.
Common RA symptoms are:
RA is also known for causing symptoms called extra-articular manifestations.
These symptoms affect other body areas and result fromongoing, uncontrolled inflammation.
They can come on suddenly and get worse quickly.
They may last a day or two, weeks, or months.
Most times, it is hard to predict what has caused a flare.
A rheumatologist is a medical doctor (M.D.)
specializing in musculoskeletal and autoimmune joint disorders.
Your insurance company might require a referral from your primary care provider.
You will want to check their referral requirements and what your plan will pay for visits and treatments.
Part of confirming a diagnosis of RA requires ruling out conditions that mimic the condition.
How to Manage Undiagnosed RA Symptoms
RA inflammation can lead to severe joint damage.
Fortunately, healthcare providers know the disease will go through stages if not adequately treated.
They also know how to treat RA successfully.
Lifestyle therapies to help you manage RA include:
Surgery is considered a last resort treatment for managing RA.
It is done to repair or replace damaged joints, manage pain, and improve joint function.
Summary
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that primarily affects the joints' synovial linings.
As the disease progresses, you will experience more severe symptoms.
People with RA will experience periods of flare-up and remission.
That means you will not always be in pain and have disease symptoms.
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