There is no "looks like everyone else", with RA the best way to find RA in hand/fingers is imaging MRI. It shows up, easily seen by radiologist or you do not have RA but normally Osteo Arthritis. Inflammation (swelling) redness, and many times fever is signs of RA flares in hands, other joints. But nothing is the same from patient to patient when it is RA. Finding RA is normally seen in labs as well. But as I said, some people are seronegative in lab findings, but noticeable in MRI's.