Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term disease that causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in joints. The signs and symptoms of rheumatic diseases differ depending on the type, but generally, those who have arthritis feel pain and stiffness in their joints. These often have more immediate effects, along with longer-lasting effects, in terms of pain, inflammation, and other symptoms of rheumatic diseases.
Facts About Rheumatology Symptoms
Often, a patient will first notice rigidity in one or more joints, accompanied by pain when moving, and by joint tenderness. Of 160 patients who presented with rheumatic symptoms, the joint that was more affected was the knee, followed by the hands and shoulders.
Rheumatic symptoms following COVID-19 were defined as self-reported new-onset joint symptoms, including joint pain and/or swelling.
Sometimes, flares from RA are experienced as increases in unspecific systemic symptoms, mostly fatigue, rather than discrete swelling or joint tenderness. When the early stage of the disease involves only some joints, there may not be any pattern seen, which should not rule out the diagnosis of Rheumatoid arthritis.
According to Mayo Clinic, 24 million adults are limited in activity due to arthritis, and over one out of four adults report significant joint pain. One out of every 4 adults has arthritis, according to the Centers for Disease Controls National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDDPHP). More than 2 million Americans suffer from gout, a form of arthritis that occurs when microscopic crystalline uric acid forms in joints and causes inflammation, swelling, and pain.
Rheumatic diseases are autoimmune, inflammatory diseases that trigger the body’s immune system to attack joints, muscles, bones, and organs. Early-stage rheumatoid arthritis often attacks your smallest joints first – especially those joints that connect your fingers to your hands and your toes to your feet.
An evaluation of primary care databases identified a number of symptoms, including joint symptoms related to your hands, stiffness in the morning, and symptoms similar to carpal tunnel syndrome. A combination of education and evidence-based referral algorithms is likely to be needed to ensure suspected cases are referred earlier. This can help in treating the symptoms at an early stage and increasing success rates.
Also, rheumatic diseases affect your bones, ligaments and tendons, So be careful with the rheumatic symptoms and consult a doctor as soon as possible.
