how do I know it's a flare and not just my osteoarthritis?

Hi, !

That's a really good question and it may take you some time to differentiate between your OA and your RA. They can present with pretty similar aches and pains in the joints, but you may notice other RA symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, feeling like you have the flu, etc. Here's a pretty basic article on RA flare ups -- https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/what-is-ra/ra-flare . You may find the information to be stuff you already know, but I wanted to include the link so you can maybe have a 'check list' of what symptoms you might experience during a flare. Also, we have a few members with both OA and RA, including one of our contributors, and she wrote about the differences between her OA and her RA here -- https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/osteoarthritis-complications. I hope this information is useful and definitely talk to your doctor or rheumatologist, if you haven't done so already. I do hope you get some relief, if you are currently in a flare or even if your OA is acting up. Being in pain is no fun.

Best, Erin, Team Member.