Rheumatoid Arthritis Flare-Ups: Symptoms, Tips, and More

What is an RA flare-up?Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes joints to be painful, stiff, and swollen.Coping with flares, or severe episodes of symptoms, is a particularly difficult aspect of RA.An RA flare can involve an exacerbation of any symptom of the disease, but most commonly it’s characterized by intense pain and stiffness in the joints. Flares are often severe enough to interfere with everyday tasks, such as:getting dressed, grooming, and bathingpreparing mealsperforming simple household choresdrivingholding utensils or opening doorsSymptomsRA is a complex disease that results in symptoms beyond just painful joints. These can include:fatigueweight lossfeverbumps (inflammatory nodules) under the skinPeople with RA also report these common symptoms of flares:increased stiffness in jointspain throughout the entire bodyincreased difficulty doing everyday tasksswelling of hands and feet as well as large jointsintense fatigueflu-like symptomsTriggers and typ...