Rheumatoid arthritis is a common joint disease that makes joints between bones weak. The disease also causes joints to become deformed and inflamed, resulting in the decreased mobility of most of its victims whenever joints are affected. Rheumatoid arthritis afflicts millions of people in the United States and varies in overall discomfort depending on each individual case. The disease is not limited to just one set of joints and can affect more than one joint at a time in any given patient.

By learning a few things about the disease, people can more readily recognize it if it strikes them or someone they know or love. Anyone who thinks that they might have rheumatoid arthritis should see their doctor for an evaluation.

Women come down with rheumatoid arthritis at least twice as often as men do and normally becomes evident in adults before the age of 50. Although dominant in younger people, the disease does strike people over 50, just at a lesser rate. In short, virtually everyone is at risk for rheumatoid arthritis, although more women are likely to get it.

The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include a low grade, persistent fever, joints with a diminished range of motion, muscle weakness extreme fatigue, malaise, stiff joints and aching experienced primarily after extended periods of inactivity such as sleep or rest.

When one or more of these symptoms are present in a patient, that person may have rheumatoid arthritis. Further diagnosis is tricky, so a physician should be consulted before making any assumptions of having or not having the disease. Although laboratory results help in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, there is no official test for the disease. Generally speaking, doctors consider the patient’s complaint together with lab results, a physical examination of the joints in question and the patient’s medical background.

Although there are no cures for rheumatoid arthritis, there are ways to manage the disease through pain management therapeutic exercise and lifestyle changes. This helps relieve the discomfort that is often associated with the stiff joints while other medicines are available that can help patients deal with the tiredness that seems inherent with the disease. By managing the symptoms, doctors can help ease the suffering of patients, thereby improving the quality of their lives.