Diagnosing Arthritis

Written by John Sinatra

Diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis is a serious disease in which the immune system attacks healthy joints causing inflammation, joint damage and extreme pain.  Diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis can be very difficult for doctors. In the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis it is important for the doctor to see the patient while a flare up is occurring to be sure of the diagnosis due to the difficulty patients may have trying to communicate what they symptoms actually are.  Rheumatoid arthritis may also imitate or appear to be similar to other common Diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis causes of joint pain leading to an improper diagnosis.  Patients also may often ignore symptoms or brush them off as being inconsequential or a normal part of getting older and not seek treatment.  Rheumatoid arthritis strikes hard and fast and joint damage often begins before a diagnosis is given.  For these reasons it is important to keep a record of when symptoms are occurring and get an accurate and early diagnosis of the disease. There is no “one test” that will lead to a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis or juvenile rheumatoid arthritis .  There are several factors associated with the disease as outlined by the American College of Rheumatology that doctors use as a guideline to determine who has the disease.  These guidelines are:     * Morning stiffness for at least one hour in and around joints.     * Swelling or fluid around three or more joint areas at the same time     * At least one swollen area in the wrist, hand, or finger joints     * Swelling or fluid of the same joint on both sides of the body called symmetric arthritis     * Rheumatoid nodules which are firm lumps in the skin of people with rheumatoid arthritis often located along pressure points such as the elbow     * Abnormal amounts of serum rheumatoid factor in blood     * X-ray changes in hands and wrists and wearing down of bone around affected joints If a patient has four or more out of the previous seven symptoms and they have been present for at least six weeks, they are diagnosed as having rheumatoid arthritis.  The difficulty in diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis also stems from the fact that other diseases may appear to be rheumatoid arthritis such as “regular” arthritis, gout, fibromyalgia, and lupus.  Because of this, diagnoses may take up to nine months from the initial time a patient goes to see a doctor with complaints.  Irreversible joint damage occurs early in the disease so early diagnosis is imperative to preventing long term joint damage.  Rheumatoid arthritis drugs are very powerful and can have serious side effects so doctors want to be certain that a person does in fact have rheumatoid arthritis before prescribing any medication. Juvenile rhumatoid arthritis is also difficult to diagnose but has it’s own special difficulties due to the age of the patients involved.  Children that suffer from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis may be more irritable or cranky.  They may have difficulty in falling asleep and also may awaken frequently throughout the night.  Children that have been walking may revert back to crawling.  They also may complain of stiffness, swelling and soreness. Once a patient has been diagnoses with rheumatoid arthritis it is very important to follow the doctor’s advice and recommendations and to report all changes of the disease as well as any adverse reactions the medications may cause.  There is no special rheumatoid arthritis diet but certain foods that are high in antioxidants, such as blueberries, cranberries, oranges, apples, and green tea, may be helpful in easing the inflammation and pain of the affected joints.  Remember that early diagnoses is the key to preventing or halting early joint damage so see a doctor if you have any concerns as to whether or not you may have rheumatoid arthritis.

 

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