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Did you know that low back pain is one of the earliest symptoms of arthritis? People over 60 arthritis is the most common cause of low back pain. Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis are the two most common forms of arthritis. Here are the main rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.
Hand and feet joint stiffness in the morning is the main symptom. Often the stiffness will last for more than an hour and the swelling and pain will last more than six weeks. Another common symptom is that rheumatoid is symmetrical so if it's your hands then both will hurt. Tiredness and fever are also a symptoms. Pea sized nodules can sometimes be felt under the skin.
Anemia, fluid accumulation on the ankles and behind the knees, and loss of appetite may be symptomatic of rheumatoid arthritis. In children chills, shaking, and a pink rash can occur.
Rheumatoid arthritis is painful. How this occurs is not really understood. It's known that cartilage itself doest not cause the pain because there is no nerves to transmit pain signals. It is caused by the irritation of the tissues around the joints. Treatment with NSAIDs helps reduce pain because it stops the production of prostaglandins.
The type of pain rheumatoid arthritis causes can be a result of many conditions including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, autoimmune diseases, and injuries or infection.
How arthritis acts can be very unpredictable and very cyclic. It can stay for awhile then disappear only to reappear. No matter how mild your symptoms if they last for more than 6 weeks they should be checked by a doctor. If they are severe they should be checked much sooner.
More than 7 million Americans suffer from this type of arthritis. In fact it is the most common type affecting 1 in every 5 people in every age group.
The most recognizable symptom of rheumatoid arthritis is the symmetrical way of the pain. Two hands, two knees, two hips, two ankles. In the hands it often affects the proximal interphalagneal and metacarpal phalangeal joints, wrists, and elbows.
One distinction between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis is that the later can affect your entire body and it can make you feel tired and sick all over. The body's immune system begins attacking the body mistaking it's own tissue for an invasive body.
It sends special white blood cells combined with cytokines which are a toxic chemical to destroy the foreign material. But the trouble is that foreign material is your own body materials.
The reason for this form of arthritis is still not understood and research continues on. One very scary concern with this arthritis is its ability to affect your internal organs like skin, spleen, blood vessels, heart, muscles, and lungs. And the damage causes is irreversible.
Rheumatoid arthritis is diagnosed by a rheumatologist by establish at least 6 weeks of joint pain and inflammation combined with the symptoms. There are also some blood tests that can help. And MRI can be helpful too.
Although there is no cure there are enough treatments available that combined correctly can provide relief and improved quality of life. There's no reason to suffer anymore!
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Source by Suellen Cazarez
