Rheumatoid Arthritis
When one thinks of rheumatoid arthritis, they often picture old and crippled looking fingers. In truth, that is what really happens among other things. It is a chronic inflammatory disease which results in stiffness and inflammation of the joints, loss of mobility and deformity to all joints in the body.
Rheumatoid arthritis is twice as likely to afflict women instead of men. It usually starts to show up around age 20 to 50. It can also affect children and adults older that 50.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that presents itself by stiffness and swollen joints. Weakness, loss of mobility, and deformity are all effects of rheumatoid arthritis.
The symptoms can include painful swelling in the joints, mostly in the smaller joints of your hands and feet. You will feel an aching and stiffness more after sleep or after periods of rest. Loss of motion and strength in the joints and muscles will also show up. During a flare-up, fatigue can be immense with a low-grade fever. Over time, the joints will become deformed with the disease, along with a general malaise.
Treatment can be started early in an effort to stave off the debilitating disease. Your doctor can spot the start of it by examining your joints, taking a thorough medical history of symptoms, and interpreting the results of your laboratory tests that were taken.
There is no cure for this disease, but with a very aggressive treatment plan, it will make a difference in managing the disease.