类风湿关节炎（RA）is anautoimmune disorderthat causes the chronic inflammation of joints.
RA tends to begin slowly with minor symptoms that come and go, usually on both sides of the body. These symptoms progress over a period of weeks or months.
症状慢性病vary from person to person and can change as time goes on. Bouts of RA symptoms are calledflare-ups。当症状不太明显时，无效的时期称为缓解。
While RA can affect anyone, it most commonly presents在30至50岁之间和more often in women. The early stage symptoms of RA don’t always include swelling and redness in the joints, but there能够是微妙的迹象表明某件事已经出现。一些早期症状包括：
- tenderness and pain in certain areas of your body
- 明显增加fatigue（这需要身体应对的能量inflammation)
- 身体某些部位的弱点以前没有
- 通常感到不适
Once RA inflammation has been active in your body for a period of weeks or months, you’ll begin to notice more obvious signs that something is up.
Swelling, redness, and warmth in joints
Rheumatoid arthritis attacks the lining of your joints, and when this inflammation flares up, your joints may become red, and feel warm to the touch. They might also swell.
疲劳
Because it takes energy for your body to fight inflammation, you may notice a marked increase infatigue和tiredness while doing the same activities you’ve always done.
If this fatigue lasts more than a few weeks — even if you don’t notice any other symptoms — you could be dealing with an RA flare.
疲劳有时会伴随着压倒性的“我感觉不好，但不知道为什么”的感觉甚至沮丧。
Morning stiffness
Morning stiffnessis one of the main symptoms of many types of关节炎，包括RA。
如果某些关节首次醒来并且刚度持续超过30分钟时会感到僵硬，那么您可能会处理RA耀斑。
It’s common for joints to feel more mobile after prolonged activity.
General joint pain and stiffness
除了早晨的关节刚度外，您还可以全天经历一般的关节刚度，尤其是在一段时间之后。
Some of the first areas RA stiffness typically affects are the wrists and certain joints in the hands and feet, but it’s also possible to experience pain and stiffness in your knees or shoulders. Usually, both sides of your body will be affected.
Fever
When accompanied by other symptoms like joint pain and inflammation, a低级发烧可能是您患有RA耀斑的预警信号。
Numbness and tingling
肌腱的炎症会给您的神经带来压力。这可能会导致麻木，刺痛或手中的灼痛感觉被称为carpal tunnel syndrome。
Decrease in range of motion
Inflammation in your joints can cause tendons and ligaments to become unstable or deformed. If the disease progresses without treatment, you may find yourself unable to bend or straighten some joints.
尽管您的运动范围也可能受到疼痛的影响，但经常进行轻柔的运动能够help ease the ache and even allow for a bit more movement.
There are a few other RA symptoms that affect more than just your joints. These include:
- 食欲不振
- dry eyes and mouth (caused by a related symptom,Sjogren’s syndrome)
- rheumatoid nodules, which are hard lumps that grow beneath the skin in places like the elbow and hands
- 减肥
- 胸痛
- 神经或皮肤损伤
The most commonly affected areas during the onset of RA are the small joints in your hands and feet. This is where you may first feel stiffness and an ache.
RA炎症也可能影响您的膝盖和臀部。由于该疾病在不同的人中的表现不同，因此它可以继续影响几乎所有关节。
Your organs are another area that can be disrupted by RA inflammation:
- Your heart muscle can become damaged.
- Your lungs can become scarred.
- 血管损伤会导致随后的皮肤和神经问题。
未经治疗的时间越长，RA会变得更糟。重要的是，如果您已经有一些症状已有几周以上的时间，请访问您的医生，尤其是如果您注意到早晨需要一段时间的关节刚度。
Even if it’s not RA, persistent fatigue and a general sense of illness can be the precursor to many inflammation-related issues, so the sooner you’re seen by a physician, the better.
没有一个可以揭示RA诊断的单一测试。取而代之的是，您很可能会通过血液测试，关节和器官检查以及X射线或超声图像来诊断。
If a positive rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis is found, you’ll probably be referred to arheumatologist，一名医生对影响肌肉，骨骼，关节，韧带和肌腱的疾病的治疗进行了额外的培训。