Can anyone explain to me the signs/symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis?

And also, how does one develop it?I'm just curious. And have yet to find a good website.
Answer:
RA is one of the most serious diseases that rheumatologists treat. Signs and symptoms include swollen and tender joints, especially in the morning. If the swelling and pain are after exercise, you may be looking at OA. There is no know cause for it, although there does seem to be a family correlation. RA is basically your immune system attacking your body. Tests and assessment can determine how aggressive the disease is. If you suspect you may have RA, go to your doctor asap and get referred to a rheumatologist. If the wait list is too long, ask if there is an early RA clinic you can go to. RA is one disease where you can hope for remission if you get treated really early, before joint damage is done. The most popular physician website is www.rheuminfo.com. You may also consider looking at www.arthritis.ca. www.arthritisU.com is another good overall learning site for physicians.If you do have RA, lead your treatment. What I mean by that is know what "progression" feels like and be quick to switch treatments if the one you are on doesn't work really well. Some of the best treatments are only used after other, less effective treatments have failed. This is because of the nature of how the FDA and other governement organizations approve drug use and not necessarily reflective of the level of efficacy of a drug. There is also a small correlation between RA and some cancers.Hope that helps!

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Harvard Medical School has a very good and very complete site. Try it. Sorry I don't have the web address.

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There's usually a huge genetic component to it. There are like 9 signs and symptoms of RA and you have to present with like 4-5 of them to have the diagnosis. One tell tale sign is stiffness and swelling in the joints when you first wake up in the morning. Doctors usually do bloodwork to see if your RA factor is positive and other bloodwork to rule out any other of the arthritic conditions. Here's a great website to look at for more information: http://www.arthritis.org/disease-center. Hope this helps!

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