MYSTERY SYMPTOMS THAT COULD BE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

​Bruising more easily can be a symptom of rheumatoid arthritis.

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Joint pain is the hallmark symptom of rheumatoid arthritis, but this disease can attack healthy tissue throughout the body, in places where you may not expect it. RA symptoms and their severity vary from one person and may stop for a period, only to return later on.
Here are several lesser known - but sometimes serious - symptoms that can come with rheumatoid arthritis.

​Bruising Easily

Autoimmune diseases like RA can cause your blood platelet count to dip below the normal level. Essentially, due to RA, your body uses or destroys platelets faster than it produces them, which can cause you to bruise more easily. Certain medications taken for RA, like the corticosteroid prednisone, are also known to increase the likelihood of bruising. (My doctor does a physical exam and runs a complete blood count to determine whether I have low platelet levels due to my RA or the medication.) ​

 Allover Weakness or Fatigue ​

What doctors call anemia of inflammation and chronic disease (AI/ACK) should not be confused with iron-deficiency anemia, the most common form of this condition. AI/ACD is the second most common form of anemia and, as the name suggests, it’s associated with chronic diseases, inflammatory disorders like RA, lupus, and cancer.
This is how my doctor explained it to me; in both AI/ACD and iron-deficiency anemia, there are low levels of iron circulating in the blood. In AI/ACD, however, blood iron levels are low even though stored iron levels are normal or high. This occurs because inflammatory conditions like RA interfere with the way the body uses stored iron and iron from diet.
Common signs of AI/ACD include weakness, fatigue, pale skin, fast heartbeat and shortness of breath.

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​Skin conditions and Rashes

​RA can even affect your skin. Up to 25% of people with RA develop rheumatoid nodules - lumps of tissue under the skin - and many also experience itchy hands and feet and skin rashes. Painful rashes, skin ulcers, or mouth sores may be symptoms of a more serious condition related to RA.

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Itchy and Dry Eyes ​

​Eye conditions like dry-eye syndrome, are relatively common symptoms in people who have RA. Dry eye, which can cause blurred vision, occurs more often in women than in men. I use a humidifier and preservative - free eye drops can help with my dry-eye. Ask your doctor what will help you if you have dry-eye.

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Sharp Chest Pain ​

​RA inflammation can cause chest pain that is not related to your heart or cardiovascular system. Irritation of the cost sternal joints (the cartilage that connects a rib to the breastbone) can be very painful, and because it’s common to think of a heart attack when chest pain is present, it can be a scary experience. But this kind of pain is not the result of a heart condition. My husband had gone through this kind of pain. Doctor did all kinds of tests and said he was fine...once his chest pain was diagnosed a “costochondritis” - being related to joint pain, rather than cardiac problems - the recommended treatment was to take an over-the-counter pain reliever such as Tylenol or Advil or Motrin, ibuprofen.

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​Soreness in Your Ankles and Feet
​RA can cause problems in the ankle and foot, including pain, sore joints, redness, swelling and inflammation, or warmth. Ask your doctor about medications that would help with this condition. What helps me is warm showers, soaking in a warm bath, and also trying different footwear.

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