Inflammation is your body's reaction to damage or infection. It can occur when the joint is injured, broken, infected, or subjected to prolonged "wear and tear." Generally, the inflammation goes away after the injury has healed or the infection has resolved. If the inflammation does not go away, you may have arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term inflammatory disease of the joints. It primarily affects the joints and surrounding tissues, but also can affect other organ systems in the body. The initial symptoms of RA usually appear gradually and include fatigue, morning stiffness, muscle aches, loss of appetite, and weakness. Eventually, you may feel joint pain, with warmth, swelling, tenderness, and stiffness of the joint after inactivity.

RA can cause joint destruction in as little as 1 to 2 years after onset of the disease. The bones of the joint erode, causing pain and deformity. Tendons become inflamed and may rupture (tear apart). Long-term joint inflammation can eventually affect the ability to perform daily activities and overall quality of life.

Let's look at an example of how long-term inflammation can affect your hand. Usually, the first complaint is swelling of the wrist and large knuckles of your hand. This swelling gives the fingers a spindle shape. The swollen tissue may destroy the ligaments that hold the joints together, and damage joint cartilage and bone. This joint destruction can lead to deformities. For example:

• Ulnar drift, where the wrist and fingers turn toward the thumb side of the hand.
• Ruptured tendons. The swollen tissue may produce damage, causing the tendons to rupture. When the tendon ruptures, you may not be able to bend or straighten your finger.
• Swelling may cause pressure on the nerves in the wrist resulting in numbness, tingling, and pain in the arm, hand, and fingers.

If you have joint pain, stiffness, and/or swelling for more than 2 weeks, you may have arthritis. Make an appointment with your doctor.