People describe it as being overwhelming and uncontrollable. They feel worn out and drained of energy, and sometimes even lose all interest in anything. It can increase the need for sleep and make it hard to concentrate or do anything.
Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include: Pain, swelling, stiffness and tenderness in more than one joint. Stiffness, especially in the morning or after sitting for long periods. Pain and stiffness in the same joints on both sides of your body.
Fatigue is also more prominent in the early stages of the disease, and is associated with the higher levels of inflammation. As the disease is controlled (inflammation decreases), and as people adapt with behavioral changes, fatigue becomes less prominent.
Joint pain and morning stiffness are the most common early warning signs of RA. The joint pain of RA has some unique characteristics that separate it from joint pain due to other causes. The characteristics of joint pain caused by RA are: Multiple joints are affected at once (typically more than three joints).
The inflammation inside the body can lead to general physical weakness, drowsiness and exhaustion. This feeling of extreme tiredness is also called "fatigue." Some people find this to be the worst symptom of the disease.
No blood test can definitively prove or rule out a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, but several tests can show indications of the condition. Some of the main blood tests used include: erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) – which can help assess levels of inflammation in the body.
Signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis may include: Tender, warm, swollen joints. Joint stiffness that is usually worse in the mornings and after inactivity. Fatigue, fever and loss of appetite.
The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis often develop gradually over several weeks, but some cases can progress quickly over a number of days. The symptoms vary from person to person. They may come and go, or change over time. You may experience flares when your condition deteriorates and your symptoms become worse.
If a particular activity causes your joints to become warm and swollen, or it causes severe pain, then stop and rest. If it does not cause problems, then it is usually fine to continue. If a particular activity always causes a flare-up, it's best to avoid it and find an alternative.
Cytokines are responsible for coordinating the attack against pathogens, and they also cause inflammation. Because the immune system is overreactive in autoimmune disease, cytokines are likewise elevated, creating high inflammation and fatigue.
Sometimes a medication can both relieve fatigue associated with disease activity and induce fatigue. For example, methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall, Otrexup) is used to help bring active RA under control, leading to a reduction in disease-related fatigue.
The typical case of rheumatoid arthritis begins insidiously, with the slow development of signs and symptoms over weeks to months. Often the patient first notices stiffness in one or more joints, usually accompanied by pain on movement and by tenderness in the joint.
More rarely, rheumatoid arthritis can cause inflammation in the white part (sclera) of your eyes, which can result in redness and pain. If you have rheumatoid arthritis and experience eye pain, vision changes or other eye problems, consult an ophthalmologist for an evaluation.
Stage I: Synovitis
During stage I, you may start having mild symptoms, including joint pain and joint stiffness. Most commonly, this affects the hands and fingers, as well as the ankles and knees. The immune system has begun attacking the joint tissue, causing the synovial membrane to swell and become inflamed.
Anti-CCP antibody test (ACCP or CCP). This test is for a type of autoantibody called cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies, which can be found in the blood of 60% to 80% of people with rheumatoid arthritis. The test is often conducted along with an RF test.
Multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis share similar symptoms, so one condition can be mistaken for the other. However, this is rare because diagnostic testing methods vary between two conditions.
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic found people with RA report higher rates of stomach ulcers, bleeding, and esophagitis (inflammation and swelling of the esophagus) in the upper GI tract, and perforations (holes), bleeding, bowel inflammation, and infections in the lower GI tract.
“It is a systemic type of exhaustion, meaning it affects your whole system instead of just a certain body part.” People who have RA often describe their fatigue as a deep tiredness or slowing down, akin to the feeling someone might have while recovering from the flu.
RA sometimes affects the small nerves in your hands or feet. They might feel numb or like you're being stuck with pins and needles. If these tiny blood vessels in your hands or feet shut down, your fingers or toes may feel cold or numb.
Sign up here. Inflammation is the root cause of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pain — but it's certainly not the only cause. In fact, many people with RA experience joint pain without swelling and other types of pain, in spite of having low levels of inflammation, few affected joints, and low disease activity.
Between 20% and 60% of people with rheumatoid arthritis have abnormally low levels of red blood cells, a condition called anemia. People with anemia may experience fatigue along with other symptoms, including but not limited to pale skin, dizziness, or irregular heartbeat.
Fatigue. Although many people with RA experience fatigue caused by the condition, others may have additional fatigue because of a vitamin B12 deficiency. In these cases, taking vitamin B12 orally, sublingually (under the tongue), or by infusion may help improve fatigue.