Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune (wherein your own immune system attacks your body) inflammatory disease that causes joint pain and destruction. The inflammation causes a myriad of debilitating symptoms, affects other organs, and damages joints and other tissues. Rheumatoid arthritis usually affects adults, with women being more prone than men, but there have been incidents […]

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune (wherein your own immune system attacks your body) inflammatory disease that causes joint pain and destruction. The inflammation causes a myriad of debilitating symptoms, affects other organs, and damages joints and other tissues. Rheumatoid arthritis usually affects adults, with women being more prone than men, but there have been incidents of children getting it. There is no known cure for rheumatoid arthritis as of now, but any of its symptoms may be effectively dealt with. Some of the common rheumatoid arthritis symptoms are the following:

· Pain. Joint pain is usually symmetrical. It affects both sides of the body. Both wrists, knees, elbows, or any of the joints distributed on the left and right sides, will be equally painful.

· Swollen joints. Joint swelling happens when the lining of the joint suffers inflammation and gives off more fluid. Inflammation also causes redness, tenderness, puffiness, and warmth.

· Morning stiffness. This usually lasts more than an hour after waking up. Lack of movement in the joints makes them warm, tender, and stiff.

· Weight loss. One of rheumatoid arthritis symptoms is loss of appetite, which can also cause weight loss.

· Malaise. This is a kind of indescribably “wrong” feeling that you experience as a result of suffering from other rheumatoid arthritis symptoms .

· Fatigue. rheumatoid arthritis symptoms such as weakness and loss of energy lead to a feeling of fatigue and also malaise.

· Myalgias. The pain spreads to the muscles, so it is experienced by most of the entire body.

· Rheumatoid nodules. These are firm round painless bumps of tissue under the skin, which usually indicate a more serious disease.

· Hand and feet deformities. Joint destruction usually occurs a couple of years after the first onset of the disease. This will usually alter the appearance of certain body parts, especially the hands and feet.

Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms may disappear from time to time during periods of remission. The illness does not go away, but inflammation subsides and it becomes dormant. Some known ways of addressing the mentioned rheumatoid arthritis symptoms are by following a proper diet, taking supplements rich in herbs, vitamins, and minerals that can help relieve symptoms, meditating, exercising, going for physical therapy, and seeing an acupuncturist.

Rheumatoid arthritis may be debilitating in many ways, but it can be managed so that your suffering may be kept at a minimum.