(HealthDay News) -- Arthritis, the medical term for joint inflammation, commonly affects the relatively small joints of the hands.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says warning signs of hand arthritis may include:

• Pain in the hands and fingers, especially after firmly holding an object for a long period.
• Stiffness and pain that are more noticeable in the morning.
• Swollen or disfigured joints.
• A feeling of warmth in the joints.
• A feeling that the bones in the joints are rubbing together, or that a joint is "loose."
• Cysts near the joints at the ends of the fingers.