6 Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Signs & Symptoms RA is a serious autoimmune disease that is much different from osteoarthritis, the type of arthritis that usually occurs as we age. Rheumatoid arthritis can strike at any age, and if you don't get diagnosed and treated, you could develop joint damage and painful, crippling deformity. Diagnosing 6 Common RA Signs and Symptoms = 1. Usually with RA, one or more of your finger knuckle joints will be swollen. The swelling or inflammation is more likely to be in the middle or large knuckles of your hands not the knuckles at the tips of your fingers next to your fingernails. It is often in the same joints on both hands (the swelling is symmetrical). The swelling does not feel "bony," but rather tender and slightly soft. With RA, you may also feel warmth and...