I am a 67 yr. old female with RA. I am having some lung breathing problems, shortness of breath, the last digit of my fingers on both hands filled with blood where they felt like they would burst open. I put them in a pale of very warm water. It has helped considerably. Is this a problem with my heart or what else could ite? Ms. wallace
Hello thanks for posting here. Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease of the joints leading to sever pain, swelling and deformity of the joints, mostly affecting the small joints of the hands and legs (wrist, fingers and toes). Rheumatoid arthritis also causes a disease affecting the lungs called OLD which I suppose is the cause of your breathing issues. Your swollen finger joints are most probably due to rheumatoid arthritis and the associated lung disease. The symptoms of heart disease are chest pain, breathlessness on exertion initially later progressing to breathlessness at rest, fatigue, left arm pain and decreased effort tolerance. Since your symptoms are already explained by RA and lung disease i don't think there is an element of heart disease. Wishing you good healthRegards.