Rheumatoid arthritis is a crippling form of arthritis characterized by painful and stiff joints on both sides of the body. Iit most commonly begins in the smaller joints of the fingers, hands and wrists.

Typical symptom patterns include:

• fatigue
• stiffness, particularly in the morning and when sitting for long periods of time
• weakness
• flu-like symptoms, including a low-grade fever
• pain associated with prolonged sitting
• rheumatoid nodules, or lumps of tissue under the skin, may appear in some people with RA
• muscle pain
• loss of appetite
• depression
• weight loss
• anemia
• cold and/or sweaty hands and feet
• salivary glands and tear glands can be affected, causing decreased production of tears and saliva (Sjögren’s syndrome)