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Since arthritis is a general medical terminology covering more than hundred different diseases of the joint, the word ‘rheumatism’ was probably used in the past when referring it to a non-specific joint disease.

Be that as it may, one thing is for sure, and that is that, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease where the body’s own immune system attacks itself. Though medical knowledge till now is rather limited about the abnormal immune system response, it has at least been established that cells of the immune system travel freely all over the body through the bloodstream resulting a non-localized disease condition. The manifestation thus starts with one joint first, then spreading to other joints. Instances of sudden inflammation and pain in different joints simultaneously are not uncommon though.

As another significant characteristic of autoimmune disease, rheumatoid arthritis tend to be associated with systemic symptoms, i.e. symptoms appearing throughout the body or the system. These include mild fever, loss of appetite, fatigue and malaise. Medically speaking, these are manifestations of cell discontent when they are (wrongly?) activated.

You may often experience significant stiffness in the morning, in and around the joints, lasting for more than thirty minutes, swelling in the wrists, knuckles, or the individual finger joints. You may also experience a feeling of warmth over the inflamed joints. Rheumatoid arthritis can affect many other joints, such as the jaw, elbows, shoulders, feet and ankles.

Rheumatoid arthritis occurs in a symmetrical pattern, for example if the right knee is affected, then the left knee will be affected also. Although it is quite common for an individual to be more inflamed and affected than another. Extreme fatigue, weight loss, fever, swollen, red and warm joints and an overall feeling of malaise are common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

There is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, however, the common goal is to reduce inflammation, relieve pain, stop or slow down joint damage and improve the ability to function on a daily basis. There are many exciting new advances in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Treating rheumatoid arthritis symptoms typically consists of treating the pain and reducing the inflammation. In most cases the drugs of choice are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or (NSAIDs), but these may have harsh side effects including damage to the stomach lining and kidneys.

Cox-2 inhibitors have also been used to treat the common symptoms for rheumatoid arthritis, but some have dangerous side effects and may increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. The early symptoms for rheumatoid arthritis may be treated with corticosteroids, but these are not used for long term care, because they become ineffective and may lead to thinning of the bones, weight gain and diabetes.