Rheumatoid arthritis is a crippling disease that affects young and old alike. Although there is no cure for this autoimmune disorder, there are a variety of treatment options, ranging from medication, to natural remedies, to lifestyle changes. Read on to learn more about rheumatoid arthritis, including symptoms, treatment options, and more.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a painful and debilitating medical condition in which the immune system of the body starts malfunctioning. It is advisable to consult a physician as soon as the symptoms of this disease start appearing. Proper diagnosis is needed in order to ensure the required medication. This is a serious autoimmune disorder, and must be treated at the right time without any delay. The main issue related to this disease is that it is too progressive, resulting in joint deformity accompanied by other organs being damaged, often times long-term, as well.

The most commonly observed early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include stiffness of joints especially in the morning. This stiffness of joints gradually increases from smaller joints of the body to the larger ones. At first, the stiffness starts occurring in the knuckles and fingers of hands and feet, wrists, elbows and shoulders as well. The right time of diagnosis is when this stiffness is felt. Early diagnosis is the best thing that can ever happen to the rheumatoid arthritis patient. It is very important to, 'nip the evil in the bud'. Otherwise if you delay getting a diagnosis, the pain and inflammatory processes will get worse overtime. It is advisable to see a rheumatologist for getting the best possible treatment of this serious disease.

Weariness is another important symptom of rheumatoid arthritis which mostly appears as a secondary symptom. It is mostly followed by fever and loss of appetite. Thus, the symptoms of this disease resemble the symptoms of other diseases at the initial stages. This resemblance of symptoms proves to be quite destructive and harmful for the sufferer. The pain and inflammation increases with the passage of time. After affecting the smaller joints, this disease attacks the larger joints of the body as well. These larger joints may possibly include hips, knees and jaws. There appears swelling on the joints and muscles. Moreover, the appearance of lumps is another serious symptom of the disease. These bumps are known as rheumatoid nodules.

If rheumatoid arthritis is left untreated for a longer time period, it results in the bone erosion due to the less space left between the joints, and deterioration of the cartilage. As a result of this, the joints start deforming, which may lead to restricted movement. Although this disease is not completely curable, the advancement of science has made possible various surgical processes for ensuring better lifestyle by reducing the effects, both short and long-term.