Arthritis: Seven early signs of rheumatoid arthritis to spot to prevent disability

While there’s no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, the disease can be managed with medication and exercise to prevent life-long deformities. How can you get a diagnosis? Johns Hopkins Medicine stated the “skeletal system”, bodily organs and joints can be affected by the autoimmune disorder. Diagnosing the condition can be difficult in the beginning as symptoms can be very mild.

The most commonly affected areas include:

• The hands
• The feet
• The ankles
• The knows
• The shoulders
• The elbows

Any stiffness of the joints need to be noted, especially if it appears first thing in the morning.

Furthermore, swollen joints may come and go and there might be small bumps on the joints, or you might notice a decrease in movement ability.