How does rheumatoid arthritis present?

Rheumatoid arthritis causes stiffness (especially in the mornings), swelling, and, often, crippling pain. It can also cause fatigue, anaemia and weight loss. Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disorder: it is a "Auto immune disease". The body's immune system improperly identifies the synovial membranes as foreign. Inflammation results, damaging cartilage and tissues in and around the joints. Normal spaces within the joints become narrowed and the bones may even fuse together. This disease can affect many other parts of the body like the brain, Heart, lungs, blood vessels, eyes ans kin as well. A doctor will check for multiple joint inflammation, warmth in inflamed joints, Rheumatiod factor in the blood, signs of inflammation through blood tests, as well as comparative x-rays to enable him/her to check on the progress of damage caused by the disease.