There's no easy way to tell which kind of rheumatoid arthritis you have, but there are some general signs that suggest you might have the progressive type that can get worse over time:
- Flares that last a long time or are intense
- You were diagnosed at a young age, which means the disease has more time to become active in your body
- Rheumatoid nodules -- bumps under your skin that most often appear on the elbows
- Active inflammation that shows up in tests of joint fluid or in blood tests
- Your doctor spotted a lot of damage on X-rays when you were diagnosed
- High levels of rheumatoid factor or citrulline antibody in blood tests