Patients with rheumatoid arthritis will typically not have pain or swelling in the finger joint closest to the fingertip the distal interphalangeal joint. The other joints in the hand are often affected. The affected joints are often tender to the touch.
Depending on how long the person has been having symptoms, and the severity of the rheumatoid arthritis, there may also be some deformity in the fingers, hands, wrists, and other joints.
Rheumatoid nodules may develop and be felt as firm lumps beneath the skin. These occur most commonly at points of pressure under the elbow and on the fingers. Usually rheumatoid nodules do not cause pain but they can become infected or put pressure on a nerve in which case they would need to be treated. Rheumatoid arthritis is a common rheumatic disease, affecting approximately 1.3 million people in the United States, according to current census data. The disease is three times more common in women as in men.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms: - Generally, if a joint on the right side of your body is affected; the same joint on the left side is also affected. Feeling tired and run-down with swollen lymph glands, a low fever, little or no appetite, and weight loss Appearance of small bumps under the skin near the affected joints
* Joint pain, joint swelling, joint stiffness, and warmth around the affected joint
* Morning stiffness which lasts one or more hours
* Small bumps called nodules may appear around effected joints.
* Fatigue and noticeable loss of energy
* Low grade fevers and sometimes flu-like symptoms
* Loss of appetite, weight loss, and anemia associated with chronic diseases, depression
* Dry eyes and dry mouth associated with a secondary condition Jorgen’s syndrome
* Joint deformity and instability from damage to cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and bone
* Stiffness in the joints. You will usually see a reduction in the range of motion of effected joints.
* Limited range of motion in affected joints
* Flares and remission of disease activity is characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis
How to Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis: -
Diet: One of the simplest treatments, and yet a treatment that has been found to be effective for many people, is consuming an anti-inflammatory diet. Primarily, this consists of consuming omega-3 fatty acid containing foods, including small cold water fish, fruits, and vegetables. See the section on diet and nutrition for more details.
Exercise and rest: Rest is an important part of treating rheumatoid arthritis. One of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can be fatigue as well as a sense of generalized malaise. It is important to get adequate rest so that your body does not get run down; this is true for everyone, but particularly true for people with rheumatoid arthritis.
Early diagnosis: The sooner that rheumatoid arthritis is treated, the better. If you think you might have rheumatoid arthritis, or other type of arthritis, don’t delay in getting to your doctor. Prolonging treatment only makes it more difficult to treat later.
Physical therapy: It is important to be enrolled in a well-structured physical therapy program. In addition, physicians and physical therapists can fit you for gait aids (e.g. cane) when necessary.
Weight loss: As with other forms of arthritis, if you are overweight then losing weight can make a large impact on decreasing pain and stiffness in your joints by taking some of the pressure off of them.
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