Rheumatoid arthritis is a progressive, autoimmune disorder that affects the joints in the hands, feet, hips, knees, elbows, and such. An autoimmune disorder is a result of the body’s immune system attacking its own healthy cells. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system attacks the joints and organ tissues. It causes severe pain in the joints, along with swelling and stiffness that limits the affected individual from performing their daily activities.

Symptoms and early signs of rheumatoid arthritis
Some of the early signs of rheumatoid arthritis can be confused with the symptoms of other diseases, but it can be recognized with a combination of two or more symptoms. The common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are as mentioned here:

• Fatigue
  Feeling tired throughout the day and an inability to perform daily activities is one of the early signs of rheumatoid arthritis at all stages. Fatigue is often accompanied by swelling in the joints, and feeling tired is the body’s reaction to swelling, anemia, poor sleep, and medications. Tiredness also leads to mood swings and the person’s disinterest in performing daily activities.
• Joint pain
  Another early symptom of rheumatoid arthritis is joint pain due to swelling in the joints. There are two types of rheumatoid arthritis: seropositive rheumatoid arthritis and seronegative rheumatoid arthritis. In the former, the affected individual has the antibodies that attack the body, but the latter type of the condition does not show the presence of these antibodies in a person’s blood.
• Morning stiffness
  Morning stiffness is one of the most common early signs of rheumatoid arthritis. Initially, morning stiffness affects one for a few minutes and gradually develops to several hours if left untreated. At later stages, stiffness can also occur after long inactive periods like sitting or napping.
• Fever
  One may get a mild fever due to inflammation of the joints and joint pain. The fever usually lies in the range below 100°F, and it could be a symptom of another disease or infection that needs immediate medical attention if it exceeds that temperature.
• Numbness and tingling of muscles
  There could be a frequent feeling of numbness, tingling, or burning sensation due to the swelling in the tendons. The swollen tendons exert pressure on the surrounding nerves, which causes pain. This symptom is also called carpal tunnel syndrome. A crackling or squeaking noise is produced during the movement of joints in the hands or feet due to damaged cartilage grinding against joints.
• Reduced movements
  The swelling in joints can also lead to the deformation of tendons and ligaments. As the condition worsens, the affected individual may find it difficult to straighten and bend joints immediately. This reduces the speed of movement, but this can be corrected with regular exercise.

Some other early signs of rheumatoid arthritis are as follows:

• Eye discharge
• Itchy, dry, or inflamed eyes
• Insomnia
• Difficulty in breathing and chest pain
• Dry mouth
• Loss of weight
• Loss of appetite
• Chest pain while breathing