Consulting with your Doctor is the first step to take if you suspect you are suffering from the early symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Tests will need to be run by your Doctor some blood tests to better diagnose if in fact you have the disease. You also need to know early symptoms to help control it in its early stage as well as seeking proper medication for the disease.



Early signs of rheumatoid arthritis can occur at any age, but most often it begins between the ages of 25 and 55. Older people are commonly affected by this disease. Women are 2.5 times affected more often than men. The course and severity of the illness can vary considerably.

Here are some early signs of rheumatoid arthritis, although some of these will occur in people in the early stages, they are not necessarily only associated with the early stages:

- Swelling of joints

- Pains and aches in the wrist, knee, elbow, finger, ankle, neck and feet.

- Red irritated skin

- Limited range of motion

- Stiffness, especially in the morning that last for hours

- Numbness or tingling in jointed areas

- Weight loss resulting from loss of appetite

- Muscle aches

- Fatigue

The early symptoms are usually slow and progressing, with fatigue, morning stiffness which lasts more than an hour, spreading muscular aches, loss of appetite, and weakness. Sooner or later, joint pain appears with warmth, swelling, tenderness, and stiffness of the joint after stillness.

Wrists, fingers, knees feet, and ankles are the most commonly affected joints in rheumatoid arthritis; severe disease is associated with larger joints that contain more synovium, the joint lining. When the synovium becomes inflamed, it produces more fluid and the joint becomes swollen. Afterward, the cartilage becomes rough and eroded and the underlying bone becomes affected. This joint destruction begins between one and two years after the appearance of the early.

Heart complications of rheumatoid arthritis affect the outer lining of the heart, causing the inflammation of heart muscle called myocarditis and a condition referred to as pericarditis, both of which can lead to congestive heart failure characterized by shortness of breath and fluid inflammation in the lung. Inflammation of the lining of the lung called pleuritis, can also lead to fluid accumulation, and leads to shortness of breath. Eye complications include inflammation of various parts of the eyes.

These early symptoms can be any number of things other than arthritis, mainly the reason why you should see your doctor if you suspect having the disease.

Since rheumatoid arthritis is linked with joint inflammation, taking anti-inflammatory nutrients on a regular basis may help ease the pains and aches of early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. A promising anti-inflammatory nutrient that has been getting a lot of media coverage because of its assuring benefits for people with rheumatoid arthritis is the fish oil supplement.

Combating these early symptoms for rheumatoid arthritis is not learnt overnight, however knowing the possible early signs can save you from the severe symptoms later.