Symptoms of rheumatism (rheumatoid arthritis) in adults and children

Don't underestimate it if you or your child often experience joint pain. The reason is, this condition could be a sign that you have rheumatism or rheumatoid arthritis. However, what are the characteristics of joint pain in rheumatic diseases, both in adults and children?

Various symptoms of rheumatism or rheumatoid arthritis are common

Rheumatoid arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the joints, especially the lining of the joints (synovium), causing complete damage to the joints. Usually, joint damage occurs on both sides of the body and begins with the fingers and toes.

Then, the inflammation can spread to the wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, feet, shoulders and hips. In inflamed joints, various symptoms can appear, which generally can interfere with activity.

The symptoms and signs of rheumatoid arthritis can vary from person to person, depending on the severity you have. In most people, symptoms can develop gradually over several years. But in some others, rheumatic disease and its symptoms can develop rapidly.

In addition, some people may experience symptoms that come and go or change over time. You may feel symptoms that get worse over time or as your condition worsens (the so-calledflares). However, there are also times when your usual symptoms will fade or disappear.

In general, here are some of the symptoms, characteristics, or signs that usually appear when you experience rheumatic pain (rheumatoid arthritis):

1. Joint pain

Joint pain is the main symptom felt by arthritis sufferers, including rheumatoid arthritis. Pain or soreness in this joint generally feels like a throbbing and usually gets worse in the morning and after resting.

This pain generally appears in more than one joint and occurs on both sides of the body, such as the right and left hands or the right and left knees. These symptoms also usually last a long time, up to six weeks or more.

2. The joints feel stiff

Other symptoms and signs of rheumatism that usually appear, namely stiffness or stiff joints. This stiffness also generally appears in more than one joint and is often felt worse in the morning and after sitting or resting for a long time.

These stiff joints can cause your range of motion to be limited. For example, if you have rheumatoid arthritis in the joints of your hands, it may be difficult for you to bend your fingers or make fists.

Quoted from the NHS, stiffness in this joint also generally appears as a symptom of osteoarthritis, which usually lasts 30 minutes from waking up. However, stiff joints in rheumatism sufferers can last longer than this time.

3. Swelling of the joints

Autoimmune disorders that cause rheumatism can cause inflammation of the lining of the joints (synovium). Apart from pain and stiffness, this inflammation also causes symptoms in the form of swollen, reddish joints that feel warm and soft to the touch.

This swelling also generally occurs in more than one joint and on both sides of the body. This condition can last up to six weeks or longer.

4. Fatigue

Pain, stiffness, and swelling in the joints are the main symptoms of rheumatic disease. However, in some people, other symptoms and signs can also arise, one of which is fatigue.

Fatigue is a natural thing to happen when you do activities. However, in people with rheumatoid arthritis, fatigue can appear even if you don't do strenuous activities, such as just watching television.

This fatigue can also be characterized by excessive drowsiness or a feeling of helplessness, such as wanting to give up. However, rheumatism sufferers rarely experience a severe sense of fatigue for a long time.

Apart from fatigue, rheumatism sufferers can show other characteristics, namely:

• Fever, generally not high.
• Sweating.
• Weight loss.
• Loss of appetite.

Symptoms appear less frequently in people with rheumatism

The Mayo Clinic says, about 40 percent of people with rheumatoid arthritis also have symptoms or signs that are not related to the joints. This condition usually occurs when rheumatism has caused inflammation or affected other parts of the body, including the skin, eyes, lungs, heart, kidneys, salivary glands, nerve tissue, bone marrow, and blood vessels.

In this condition, the symptoms that arise can also vary, depending on which part of the body is affected. Here are some of the characteristics, signs, or symptoms that may arise if the inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis has affected other parts of the body:

• Chest pain, especially if the rheumatism has affected the lungs or heart.
• Hard to breathe, when the rheumatism has affected the lungs.
• Persistent cough, when rheumatism affects the lungs.
• Dry eyes and redness, when the rheumatism has affected the eyes.

Typical rheumatic symptoms occur in children

The symptoms, signs, or features of rheumatoid arthritis that are common in adults, such as pain, stiffness, and swelling in the joints, as well as fatigue, fever, and loss of appetite, can also be experienced by children with rheumatism. This disease is also known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis or juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA).

However, rheumatism in children generally causes other typical symptoms, usually not owned by adults. The symptoms that appear depend on the type of juvenile arthritis you have. Some of these symptoms, namely:

1. Eye disorders

In the pauciarticular type JRA (which affects four joints), inflammation can affect the eye. This condition can cause eye problems, such as blurred vision or dry and gritty eyes.

2. Rash

Rashes on the skin can also be a sign and symptom of rheumatism in children. Your child may experience a small rash on the lower torso and upper arms and legs. These symptoms commonly appear in children with the polyarticular type JRA (affecting five or more joints), in addition to other common symptoms including fever, fatigue, and loss of appetite.

3. Swollen lymph nodes

Another type of rheumatism in children, namely systemic JRA, can cause characteristic symptoms, namely swollen lymph nodes that usually occur around the jaw, armpits, or around the thighs and groin. Even in this type of rheumatism, other symptoms can appear, in the form of a rash, chills, and high fever.

If you or your child experiences symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis with the characteristics mentioned above, you should immediately see a doctor. The doctor will provide the right rheumatism treatment to help overcome it.