What should you do if you have extreme arthritis in your hands?

Painful hands and difficult to write - is it arthritis?

• I have an exam coming up soon, it's hand written, thus why I need a quick answer! I have painful hands, which sometimes feel stiff and a lot of the time feel cold and go a funny pinky-red blotchy colour. I cannot write for more than five minutes without my hand being in agony. I have to stop, and even if I stop for an hour I cannot write until the next day. I usually don't have problems in class as everything is done on laptops, however even then I still get pain, just not as bad. People are just saying it's because I'm out of practice, but I have tried stretching my fingers and hands after writing and it's not going away, so I'm almost certain it's not because I'm out of practice as I still do a lot of writing regardless of the laptop. My grandfather has rheumatoid arthritis, so my mum suggested it might be that, but I'm pretty clueless on these things. I think I have missed some symptoms, however if you'd like a list! Haha :) Thanks!

• Answer:

  Are both your hands painful? When are they most stiff? Do you notice any swelling? Typically with arthritis you'd expect both hands to be sore and swollen. Stiffness is usually worse in the mornings and you'd expect the joints to be hot. There are also other symptoms that go along with autoimmune arthritic conditions like fatigue, rashes and organ involvement. There is a genetic component to Rheumatoid Arthritis, so it is possible. But without swelling or morning stiffness, this makes this scenario unlikely. I'd suggest speaking to your doctor. They can order blood tests and x-rays to see what's going on. .....