Rheumatoid arthritis is not typically a disease that takes hold of your life all at once and is a total shock. Most of the time, though not all, the symptoms will be present for months or years before they get bad enough to have them checked out. However, early detection will help you adjust more quickly, prepare yourself, and allow you to fight off the increasing symptoms. Here are some indications that you should seek out a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis in Alamo, TX. Fatigue Obviously, fatigue can be an indicator of almost any kind of disease or condition. Your body's immune system works diligently to fight off diseases and so it takes more energy away from your daily activities. Fatigue is one of the big indicators that you need to get a professional opinion, but it should be corresponding with other symptoms as well before you just assume that it is linked to arthritis. However, be aware that fatigue is usually your body telling you that something is off. It could be due to physical or mental stress in your life, so take a hard look at the other things going on in your life and see if you can reduce this stress somehow. Aches and Pains Another indicator of rheumatoid arthritis is aches and pains in your joints. Typically, these start in your hands and feet, but they could be present anywhere throughout your body. Don't assume that you don't have a problem if a pain goes away after a while. Rheumatoid arthritis starts out with several series of flare ups and remissions. If you have the same spots that seem to hurt every so often, but are not always a problem, you should have them checked out. The arthritis could be on a very small scale, but it is helpful to get a diagnosis early. Stiffness It is common for people to feel well rested and rejuvenated after sleeping all night long or resting during the day. However, if you are in the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis, you will notice minor to severe stiffness after long periods of rest. It may be very difficult for you to get out of bed in the morning and take several minutes or up to hours to feel the stiffness start to fade. If you feel stiffness after periods of rest consistently that has nothing to do with your patterns of exercise, you may want to call a doctor to run some tests. Joint Swelling As before mentioned, you will go through periods of flare ups and remissions for joint pain. During these flare ups you will likely notice that your joints are a bit larger than they typically are. They may even be warm to the touch because of muscle inflammation. As the arthritis gets more severe, these joints will get larger and larger and become more and more uncomfortable, so you should get a doctor's opinion as soon as possible so you can treat them with medication and therapy. Numbness When you have the inflammation in your joints, it puts more stress on your nerves and will make it difficult for you to have normal feeling in the affected area. It is common to have long periods of numbness and tingling in the affected joints, most often the hands and feet. However, this could also be from various other causes like a pinched nerve in your spine or poor circulation throughout your body. To be sure that you in fact have this disease, seek out a professional rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis in Alamo, TX. Knowing what you are dealing with will help you determine how to make some lifestyle changes.
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