Question

How do the clinical symptoms of RA differ from OA? Are you able to differentiate the two without further lab tests?

Answer 1

Ans) RA always affects multiple joints on both sides of the body, whereas OA may only affect one particular joint or area of the body. At the onset of RA, symptoms like fatigue, fever, weight loss, and loss of appetite are indicative of the disease's development.

- Both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis can affect the hands. However, osteoarthritis often affects the joint closest to the tip of the finger, whereas rheumatoid arthritis usually spares this joint. And while rheumatoid arthritis can appear in any joint, its most common targets are the hands, wrists, and feet.