Signs and Symptoms

This video illustrates a very hard time of suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, the search for a diagnosis. Many people deal with misdiagnosis for years as many of the symptoms are general symptoms. If you have all of the following symptoms that last for more than 6 weeks, it is a good idea to bring the idea of rheumatoid arthritis up to your physician.

• Symmetric joint swelling and stiffness, erythema, heat, tenderness, and deformities
• Enlargement of proximal hand and foot joints
• Limitation of joint movement
• Stiffness in the morning
• Muscle contractures
• Muscle atrophy
• Chronic bronchitis
• Lymphadenopathy
• Fever
• Subcutaneous rheumatoid nodules on forearms and elbows
• Skin ulcers
• Peripheral edema
• Systemic pallor and cyanosis of fingers

The doctor or nurse practitioner will take a full medical history, full surgical history and what medications you have taken. Secondly, they will do what is called a functional test, which will look at how these symptoms affect your life, such as your nutrition, activity, perception of your own function, and cognitive effects.

Here are some differences between rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Typically young people (30-50)	Usually begins after age 40
Bilateral-Symmetrical	Usually starts on one side
Redness, synovitis, fatigue	No redness, synovitis, fatigue
Systemic symptoms (fever, weight loss, fatigue)	No systemic symptoms
Many joints including elbows and shoulders	Usually few joints, often large joints
AM stiffness > 1 hr	AM stiffness <1 hr