Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis

The main symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include morning stiffness, back pain, joint swelling and limited mobility. If you discover the symptoms early, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible to prevent the disease from worsening. For the above symptoms, timely medication, optimizing lifestyle and regular check-ups can help control and alleviate the disease.

1. Back pain and morning stiffness: Spinal rheumatoid arthritis often manifests as pain in the axial skeleton such as the spine and sacroiliac joints, especially stiffness and discomfort when waking up in the morning. Symptoms often improve after activity. Discomfort may be caused by chronic inflammation or pathological changes. When the pain is severe or continues to affect activities, it should be taken seriously.

2. Peripheral joint symptoms: In addition to pain in the spine, some patients may also experience swelling, pain, and even joint deformity in peripheral joints such as the knee and shoulder joints. This is often due to the spread of inflammation between the bone joints and surrounding tissues, causing an inflammatory reaction.

3 Fatigue and systemic symptoms: Patients may also experience fatigue, low fever or exhaustion. These systemic manifestations indicate that the disease may have affected the overall state of the immune system.

4Other possible symptoms: Some patients may also experience tendon enditis such as heel pain and anterior chest wall pain during the course of the disease. In severe cases, it may affect the function of organs such as the heart and lungs, and may also be accompanied by eye inflammation such as iritis.

To manage these symptoms, the following measures need to be taken:

1. Drug treatment: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and diclofenac can relieve pain and control inflammation; patients with more severe symptoms can choose biological agents such as adalimumab; patients with chronic disease may need to take immunosuppressants such as sulfasalazine to delay disease progression.

2. Physical therapy and exercise: Regular functional exercises such as stretching or spinal stability training can help relieve joint stiffness and pain. Warm water therapy or massage are also very beneficial ways to relieve muscle tension and inflammation.

3. Daily life management: The key to changing the course of the disease lies in a healthy lifestyle. Avoid long-term bad sitting and body postures, quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption, maintain a balanced diet, and supplement with rich calcium and vitamin D, which are essential for bone health and joint function.

Rheumatoid arthritis progresses slowly, but ignoring early symptoms may lead to irreversible joint damage. If you find similar symptoms, you should see a doctor as soon as possible, take medication according to the doctor's instructions after a clear diagnosis, and maintain active lifestyle intervention to effectively manage the disease and avoid more serious complications.