Rheumatoid arthritis - when the sore joints - Symptoms

Symptoms

The main and the first symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis - joint damage. In severe and long-term course of the disease in some people having extra-articular changes. This is due to the fact that rheumatoid arthritis - a chronic inflammatory disease of the proceeding of the connective tissue, which is a part of all the organs of the human body.

How to start a disease

Previous infection, trauma, hypothermia or a stressful situation may precede the development of rheumatoid arthritis. Often the first signs of the disease appear in spring or autumn, and during physiological adjustment of the body (puberty Puberty child - stages of a complex path After childbirth or during menopause).

Within a few months or weeks, a person gets tired quickly, occasionally experiencing joint pain Joint pain - how to understand what is going on? , Lose weight. It reduces appetite, there sweating and body temperature rises slightly. In some patients the morning there is a feeling of stiffness in the joints.

Sometimes the disease begins with a sharp pain in joints and muscles, fever and morning stiffness. In some people, rheumatoid arthritis occurs unobtrusively and gradually progresses accompanied by changes in the joints, but without obvious violations of their work.

The defeat of the joints

For rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by symmetric bilateral disease of the joints. Most often in the pathological process involved joints of hands, feet and wrists, knee and elbow. The shoulder, hip and spine joints are rarely inflammation and destruction.

When palpation of the joints there is a sharp pain, limited motion in them. The skin on them becomes red and hot to the touch, swollen surrounding tissue.

Typically rheumatoid arthritis primarily affects the second and third metacarpophalangeal proximal (those that are closer to the forearm) interphalangeal and wrist joints. Fingers become spindly appearance. Later muscle atrophy in the hands and it shows retraction gaps between the bones.

Over time, the joints are deformed, there subluxation and contractures (restriction of movement in the joints). Some people develop ankylosis - a condition in which there is complete immobility in one or more joints.

For diseases due to subluxations and muscle weakness is characterized by brush in the direction of the deviation of the ulna. This condition is called "fin walrus." Also there are other strains of brushes that make it difficult to perform everyday movements (for example, a person becomes difficult to hold the cup or spoon).

If it affects the joints of the foot, pain when walking, jumping or standing on your toes. The foot is deformed, its front arch is lowered, and the big toe deviates outwards, there hammer deformation other fingers.

Extra-articular changes

The defeat manifested their muscles atrophy, which is especially pronounced in severe disease. In the long rheumatoid arthritis, skin thins and becomes dry. The nails become brittle, they are noticeable longitudinal striations. In the area of ​​the nail bed there are small foci of necrosis of tissue.

Some patients appear rheumatoid nodules - dense rounded formation of connective tissue. They are painless and have a diameter of from several millimeters to two centimeters. Most nodules are located just under the skin on the extensor surfaces of the forearms, at least - on the back of the head. These structures can be single or multiple.

Also, when the pathological process of rheumatoid arthritis may affect the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys, lungs, heart and blood vessels, lymph nodes, eyes and nervous system. Because of this, symptoms but joint damage, are very diverse.

If a person is showing signs of rheumatoid arthritis, it will need to see a doctor for most of early diagnosis of the disease and timely start of his treatment. This will prevent the occurrence of the symptoms of the disease, which greatly complicate the life of a person, or slow down their development.

What are the symptoms of the disease

Rheumatoid arthritis Arthritis - a variety of forms and complications   usually characterized by pain in one or more joints. Articular syndrome - the main clinical manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis. Typical for rheumatoid arthritis is bilateral symmetric joint damage. Onset of the disease is often associated with adverse weather conditions (spring, autumn), periods of organism physiological adjustment (pubertal, postnatal, menopause). The development of rheumatoid arthritis can be triggered by a previous infection, cooling, trauma, stressful situation.

Onset of the disease often subacute, rarely - acute (with sharp pains in the joints, muscles, fever, morning stiffness) or unobtrusive, with a gradual progression of joint damage without significant dysfunction. The most characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis joint damage the hands, feet, wrists, knees, elbows. Rarely are affected shoulder, hip and spine joints.

Usually, rheumatoid arthritis first involves second or third metacarpophalangeal, proximal interphalangeal joints, the joints of the wrist. Affected joints swell, movement in them painful, are limited. The patient can not squeeze the hand into a fist. As the disease progresses intercostals muscles atrophy that manifests retraction intercostals spaces. Later formed various subluxations, particularly in the metacarpophalangeal joint, which, along with the weakness of the muscles leads to ulnar deviation of the hand (the deviation of the fingers in the direction of the ulna). As a result of these changes, the brush function is greatly disturbed.

Here are the main symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis:

• Pain and swelling in the joints
• Morning stiffness in the joints of hands
• Joint inflammation, redness and fever affected area of ​​tissue / joint
• The appearance of nodules near or around the affected joint, especially near the elbow.

Besides symptoms associated with joint disease is also manifested symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis following general nature:

• Malaise
• Loss of appetite
• Muscle aches
• Weakness, tiredness
• Fervescence
• Loss of flesh
• Apathy

In some cases, as a result of rheumatoid arthritis can develop following diseases:

• Inflammation / dryness of the lacrimal and salivary glands may lead to Sjogren's syndrome (kserodermatoza)
• Pleurisy, an inflammation of the lining of the lungs, leading to chest pain, shortness of breath and coughing.
• Inflammation nodules in the lungs
• Inflammation of the pericardium, the pericardium is the cause of chest pain is magnified when the patient lies down or bends.
• Anemia, a decrease in the number of red blood cells in the blood.
• Felty's syndrome resulting from a lack of white blood cells in the blood
• Vasculitis - very rare disease of the blood vessels, which interferes with the normal flow of blood to the tissues, leading to their necrosis.

The intensity of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis may be different; some of them from time to time appear and disappear. For periods of exacerbation may be followed by periods of relative remission, during which the inflammation, pain, fatigue and sleep disturbances Dreams: how to understand our dreams   become less severe or disappear altogether.

Contact your doctor if you have symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, and also for any persistent discomfort.