Health Topics A-Z

What Are the Symptoms?

The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis may include:

• Painful swelling, inflammation and stiffness in the arms, legs, wrists or fingers in the same joints on both sides of the body, especially on awakening.
• In children, intermittent fever, loss of appetite, weight loss, anemia, or blotchy rash on the arms and legs.

Call Your Doctor If:

The pain and stiffness come on quickly, whether from an injury or an unknown cause; you may be experiencing the onset of rheumatoid arthritis.

• The pain is accompanied by fever; you may have infectious arthritis.
• You notice pain and stiffness in your arms, legs or back after sitting for short periods or after a night's sleep; you may be developing some form of arthritis.
• A child develops pain or a rash on armpits, knees, wrists, and ankles, or has fever swings, poor appetite, and weight loss; the child may have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.