Early signs of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may include fatigue, fever, weight loss, stiffness, swelling, and pain in the hands and wrists. Spotting signs of RA early on could lead to an early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

RA is a disorder in which a person’s immune system mistakenly attacks their joints, causing inflammation.

RA symptoms typically affect the hands, wrists, and feet. Early and consistent management of arthritis can prevent further joint damage.

This article explores the early signs and symptoms of RA, its risk factors, and when to see a doctor.

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The main symptoms of RA are joint pain and stiffness. Before these symptoms occur, a person may experience some early warning signs.

Some early warning signs relate to how a person feels overall, while others are specific to the joints. Joint symptoms are more likely to indicate RA, particularly if the symptoms affect more than one joint or the same joints on each side of the body.

Spotting these warning signs can help people seek treatment at the earliest possible opportunity. The early warning signs of RA include:

1. Fatigue

Before experiencing any other symptoms, a person with RA may feel extremely tired and lack energy. They may also experience feelings of depression.

Feelings of fatigue may affect:

  • everyday activities
  • relationships
  • sex drive
  • productivity at work

Feeling fatigued may be due to the body’s reaction to inflammation in the joints.

Learn more about fatigue and RA.

2. Occasional fever

Inflammation associated with RA may cause people to feel unwell and feverish. They may have a slightly raised temperature, which is an early sign that sometimes accompanies fatigue. It may precede any noticeable effects on the joints.

Learn about RA and a fever.

3. Weight loss

Another early warning sign of RA is unexplained weight loss, which is possibly an indirect effect of inflammation, according to the Arthritis Foundation.

Additionally, when someone is feeling feverish and fatigued, they may lose their appetite, which can cause them to lose weight.

Learn more about RA and weight loss.

4. Stiffness

Joint stiffness is also a potential early sign of RA. Stiffness may occur in one or two small joints, often in the fingers. It can come on slowly but may last for several days.

In addition to joint-specific stiffness, some people may experience a general feeling of stiffness throughout the body, which may also be an early sign of RA.

This type of stiffness usually affects people who have been still for a long time. This type of stiffness usually affects people who have been still for a long time, often after sleeping. Some people call this morning stiffness, and it is a characteristic complaint of people with RA.

Learn more about RA and morning stiffness.

5. Joint tenderness

Joint tenderness that affects the hands and feet is a typical early sign of RA.

RA in the hands may cause tenderness in the joint in the middle and at the base of the fingers when a person presses or moves it.

RA in the feet may lead to tenderness in the joints at the base of the toes. This soreness may cause people to walk on their heels or lift their toes as they walk.

6. Joint pain

Joint pain in the fingers, wrists, and feet is a sign of RA. Inflammation makes the lining of the joint thicker and also causes the production of extra joint fluid.

These factors put pressure on the capsule surrounding the joint and irritate its nerve endings, causing pain.

Learn more about RA in the feet.

7. Joint swelling

Swollen joints in the hands and feet are a typical sign of RA. Joint swelling becomes more apparent as RA progresses, but subtle swelling may be an early sign.

Learn more about RA and swelling.

8. Joint discoloration

Inflammation in the joints may cause discoloration of the skin around the joints. This may appear red on lighter skin and hyperpigmented on darker skin. Skin discoloration around the joints in the hands and feet may be a sign of RA.

Skin discoloration occurs because the inflammation causes the blood vessels in the surrounding skin to widen. Wider vessels allow more blood to flow into this area, resulting in skin color changes.

Learn about rashes and other skin changes due to RA.

9. Joint warmth

Joint warmth is due to inflammation and may be present before skin discoloration or swelling occurs. This can be an early sign of RA.

Learn more about joint inflammation.

10. Numbness and tingling

Numbness and tingling affecting the hands and feet may be an early sign of RA. These symptoms are due to joint inflammation that can cause nerve compression, resulting in loss of sensation.

11. Decrease in range of motion

In the early stages of RA, a person may notice trouble bending their wrist back and forth.

As the disease progresses, joint damage can affect ligaments and tendons, making it hard to bend and straighten them.

Learn more about RA in the wrists.

12. Joints affected on both sides

It is common for people affected by RA to experience symptoms in the same joints on both sides of the body. While this symmetry is typical, it is not the case for everyone with the condition.

RA results from a problem with the immune system. In people with RA, the immune system mistakenly attacks the cells in the joint linings, causing inflammation, swelling, stiffness, and pain.

People with RA typically have some periods where they experience no symptoms and other times when the symptoms flare up.

Currently, there is no cure for RA, but proper treatment and moderate exercise may help reduce flares. Left untreated, RA can damage the joints, cartilage, and bones in affected areas.

If left untreated, RA can damage the joints, the surrounding cartilage, and the nearby bones, leading to joint deformities.

Untreated RA can also lead to firm lumps developing on or near the joints called rheumatoid nodules. These nodules are a visual characteristic that people often associate with the condition.

In addition to joint deformities and rheumatoid nodules, RA can also lead to:

Learn more about how RA affects the eyes.

Doctors do not know what triggers the immune system to attack the joints in the bodies of people with RA.

However, there are some factors that researchers know increase the risk of developing the condition:

  • Sex assigned at birth: Females are at a greater risk of developing RA than males.
  • Older age: RA can affect people of any age, but it is more common in older adults.
  • Family history: If a person’s family member has RA, they may be more likely to develop the condition.
  • Smoking: People who have smoked for a long time have an increased risk of developing RA.
  • Obesity and other health conditions: People with certain health conditions, such as obesity, periodontitis, and lung diseases, may have a slightly increased risk of developing RA.

A 2022 study also notes that long-term exposure to air pollution increases the risk of developing autoimmune diseases, particularly RA.

A person experiencing any early signs and symptoms of RA should speak with a healthcare professional. A doctor can help to diagnose the condition and recommend appropriate treatment.

Early diagnosis and treatment of RA reduce the likelihood of experiencing complications from the condition.

Learn more about how a doctor diagnoses RA.

Early signs and symptoms of RA may include fatigue, mild joint stiffness and swelling, and fever.

If left untreated, RA can cause complications, such as rheumatoid nodules.

Therefore, if someone experiences any possible symptoms of RA, they should contact a healthcare professional.