Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition of the body wherein the person incurs damages in joints, bones and other connected tissues. These damages usually occur in people with advanced age although; there have been occurrences of rheumatoid arthritis in younger individuals, even children, although juvenile rheumatoid arthritis occurs rarely. This condition is a degenerative disease which can manifest symptoms on and off. This means an individual might experience symptoms for the better part of a year and then have no symptoms for the next several years. There is no timetable for the occurrence of rheumatoid arthritis symptoms but the disease does get worse as one ages.

Symptoms

The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are varied and mostly focused on the affected areas. While this is a degenerative disease, the activity of the disease varies from each person although facts point that the disease grows worse as the individuals grows older. Periods of remission often last for several weeks to years and the individual does not manifest any symptoms at all during these times. Flares may occur and these are the times when symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are evident.

Joint and muscle pains are the most common and clear manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis. The pain is dependent on the extent of inflammation the person has in the area. These symptoms are usually more evident after long periods of inactivity or after waking up from sleep or a nap. Stiffness in the affected area may also occur as well as redness, swelling and some tenderness due to inflammation of the affected joints. When rheumatoid arthritis flares up, there is an increase of the synovial fluid (joint fluid) which causes the inflammation.

Fatigue and lethargy are also some of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis although these are not as noticeable as the ones mentioned above. These symptoms may be due to the immune system attacking the joints and tissues as though these are alien cells which need to be ousted from the body. The person may also incur a slight fever which may be a result of the auto immune system working to get rid of the supposedly bad cells. Other symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis of a more severe degree are the degeneration of certain body organs, the inflammation of the lung tissues and the inflammation of the tissues surrounding the heart and some blood vessels.

Rheumatoid arthritis can causes complications if it is quite severe. Although this is a common disease, the main cause is still not known.