Rheumatoid Arthritis is an auto immune disease, which is characterized by inflammation in the lining of the joints and only affects 1 to 2 percent of the population. This disease often begins with middle aged individuals and is more common in women than men; however, don't be fooled... rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can also develop in children and young adults.

Early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can be difficult to assess, because the symptoms may go in and out of remission providing a challenge for your healthcare provider. Keeping a journal of symptoms may help your doctor to better diagnose the symptoms you are experiencing.

Some research concerning the early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis has been done in hopes of finding early warning signs of the disease in the bloodstream. As the disease progresses, rheumatoid arthritis symptoms sometimes worsen to the point of joint deformity.

Swollen, painful, tender and stiff joints are usually associated with rheumatoid arthritis. They are more or less symmetrically affected, i.e. the same joints on both sides and all over the body like the hands, elbows, knees, hands and the wrists.

Joint stiffness in the morning or after long periods of lethargy. The stiffness may last about an hour or may take several hours to go. Bumps or nodules appearing over the pressure points in the body like the knuckles, elbows, spine and lower leg bones. They may range in size from a pea to a mothball and develop in around one-third of people having rheumatoid arthritis.

Some less common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include: inflammation of the lining around the heart and lungs, inflammation of the tear and salivary glands, and in rare cases, general inflammation of the lungs and blood vessels. While the early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are confined to the joints, other systems of the body can also be affected, particularly if it is not treated.

So there is simply no reason not to seek treatment. If you believe that you are experiencing some of the common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, then set up an appointment with your healthcare provider and discuss your symptoms. Early and aggressive treatment is the best plan of attack when attempting to get hold of this disease.

Cox-2 inhibitors have also been used to treat the common symptoms for rheumatoid arthritis, but some have dangerous side effects and may increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. The early symptoms for rheumatoid arthritis may be treated with corticosteroids, but these are not used for long term care, because they become ineffective and may lead to thinning of the bones, weight gain and diabetes.