Are you familiar with rheumatoid arthritis? Well this form of arthritis causes the lining of our joints to become inflamed. When this form of arthritis progresses, it damages our tendons, ligaments, cartilage and bone in our joints. It can also damage other areas of our bodies such as our lungs and blood vessels. Which can lead to many rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. This form of arthritis is actually 2 to 3 times more common in women then it is in men and it can roughly begin between the ages of 40 to 60, however that is not always the case. This disease has been known to run in families and at this point we are unsure to what exactly causes it, what we do know however is that our bodies own natural defense system attacks the joints.

There are many different types of rheumatoid arthritis symptoms that you may have. The many different signs and symptoms that you may come across are: joint swelling, joint pain, joints that are even tender to the touch, your hands may become red and puffy, you may acquire such things as rheumatoid nodules which are firm bumps of tissue that are under the skin on your arms, you’ll become fatigued, you will notice morning stiffness that can last up to a half an hour, weight loss and fever.

Now in the early stages of this form of arthritis you may notice that it is affecting your smaller joints at first. These joints can include your wrists, hands, ankles and feet. Now as this form of arthritis begins to advance and progress it will then begin to affect such things as your shoulders, knees, elbows, hips, jaw and your neck can also begin to become involved. Now the rheumatoid arthritis symptoms can change in their severity and come and go as well.

If you feel like you are suffering from any rheumatoid arthritis symptoms then it would be in your best interest to consult your doctor. There are however different types of treatments that are available to you. Since there is no actual cure for this form of arthritis, the treatments that are offered to you aim to help reduce your pain and also help to prevent or slow down the joint damage.

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