It usually affects both sides of the body, where there is symmetry. It can affect the entire body including the eyes, kidneys and heart. See your doctor if you have these symptoms. He will examine you and your joints, take x-rays and blood tests, one in particular called an ESR, or erythrocyte sedimenatation rate. With rheumatiod arthritis, this level is high.
Treatment includes high doses of aspirin, and physical therapy exercises.
If you can't have aspirin, there are other nonaspirin antiinflammatory medicines your doctor can prescribe. As a latter resort a drug called methotrexate is used, but has a few side effects. Rheumatiod arthritis is a hereditary autoimmune disease. It is painful and disfiguring and effects more than just the joints. Inc. PageWise makes no representations about the content published on this site.