Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is characterized by recurrent inflammation of cartilage (the tough but flexible tissue that covers the ends of bones at a joint) and other tissues throughout the body. The features of the condition and the severity of symptoms vary significantly from person to person, but may include:[7][1][2] Ear: The ears are the most commonly affected body part. Symptoms include a sudden onset of pain, swelling, and tenderness of the cartilage of one or both ears. The pinna usually loses firmness and becomes floppy; hearing impairment may also occur. Inflammation of the inner ear may also cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and/or ataxia. Joint: The second most common finding is joint pain with or without arthritis. Eye: Affected people may experience episcleritis, uveitis and/or scleritis. Scleritis may lead to a bluish or dark discoloration of the sclera (white of the eye) and may even be associated with vision loss in severe cases. Proptosis (bulging out of one or both eye balls) may also be a symptom of RP. Nose: Nasal cartilage inflammation may lead to stuffiness, crusting, rhinorrhea, epistaxis (nose bleeds), compromised sense of smell and/or saddle nose deformity (a condition where the nose is weakened and thus "saddled" in the middle). Airways: Inflammation may affect the larynx, trachea (windpipe), and bronchi (tubes that branch off the trachea and carry air to the lungs). Airway involvement may lead to a cough, wheezing, hoarseness and recurrent infections. It can become life-threatening if not properly diagnosed and managed. Less commonly, RP may affect the heart, kidneys, nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, and/or vascular (veins) system. Nonspecific symptoms such as fever, weight loss, malaise, and fatigue may also be present.[2] In approximately one third of affected people, RP is associated with other medical problems. Conditions reportedly associated with RP include hematological disease (including Hodgkin's lymphoma and myelodysplastic syndromes); gastrointestinal disorders (including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis); endocrine diseases (including diabetes mellitus type 1 and thyroid disorders) and others.[7] Episodes of RP may last a few days or weeks and typically resolve with or without treatment. However, it is generally progressive, and many people have persistent symptoms in between flares.[7] Last updated: 4/21/2015 This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.