What are the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in your fingers?

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in the fingers include numbness, deformities in the joints, and finger pain, swelling and stiffness, notes WebMD. The finger and wrist joints are the common targets for rheumatoid arthritis. It tends to affect the cells that lubricate the joints.

Early rheumatoid first affects the joints that attach the fingers to the hand, according to Mayo Clinic. The symptoms are noticeable as the disease progresses and vary depending on its severity. The deformity causes the joints to shift out of place.

Scientists are not sure about the causes of rheumatoid arthritis, states WebMD. Some studies indicate that the cause is a combination of genetic, environmental and hormonal factors.