Rhumatoid Arthritis

Causes and Diagnosis

Written by John Sinatra

Nearly 1.2 million Americans suffer from rhumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that causes painful, and often debilitating inflammation in the joints. The disease causes the immune system to attack the lining of the joints, but the precise cause of the disease has yet to be determined. A number of diagnostic tests can easily determine if you have rhumatoid arthritis, and early detection can be helpful in the long term treatment of this illness and its symptoms and complications. Rhumatoid arthritis is characterized by the steady attack of the lining of the joints by the immune system. Over time the disease causes the lining of the joints, called the synovium, to swell, and eventually abnormal synovial cells begin wearing away at the cartilage and bone around the joints. The disease can be extremely painful, and can lead to disability over time. Medical science has yet to determine what causes the immune system to begin attacking the synovium.  Recent research has come up with some promising leads regarding the root cause of the illness, however. Genetic factors are a leading candidate with regard to the cause of rhumatoid arthritis. Recent studies have found that certain genes are associated with the likelihood of developing rhumatoid arthritis. Not everyone who has these genetic markers develops rhumatoid arthritis, however. This suggests that while genetic factors contribute to rhumatoid arthritis, they don't necessarily cause it. Environmental factors are another possible contributor to rhumatoid arthritis. Researchers believe that infectious agents can help increase the likelihood that people with genetic predispositions toward rhumatoid arthritis will develop the illness. Other possible contributing factors include hormonal deficiencies or changes. Smoking is also believed to contribute to the likelihood of a person developing rhumatoid arthritis. Rhumatoid arthritis tends to affect women at a much higher rate than men, and the disease is much more likely to strike older patients than younger patients. Early signs of rhumatoid arthritis include stiffness in the mornings and joint pain, along with fatigue. Pinning down a rhumatoid arthritis diagnosis can be difficult for doctors, because there are several other illnesses, such as fibromyalgia, that have similar symptoms. Most healthcare providers run a series of tests and surveys to nail down a rhumatoid arthritis diagnosis. The American College of Rheumatology uses a checklist to help doctors narrow possible explanations of patients' joint pain and fatigue down to a diagnosis of rhumatoid arthritis. Here's the factors the organization suggests doctors consider when diagnosing rhumatoid arthritis: Does the patient suffer from morning stiffness in and around joints for no less than an hour each day? Is there swelling or fluid around at least three of the patient's joints? Is there at least one swollen area in the small joints of the hand, wrist or fingers? Is there swelling in the same joint on both sides of the body i.e. symmetric arthritis? Are there firm lumps in the skin around the pressure points of the body, particularly the elbows? Is the erythocyte sedimentation rate higher than usual. An elevated ESR can indicate an inflammatory illness. Also, does a blood test show elevated levels of rhumatoid factor? Do X-rays show evidence of rhumatoid arthritis, such as the deterioration of bone around affected joints? The American College or Rheumatology suggest a diagnosis of rhumatoid arthritis if patients display at least four of the seven factors. The first four factors on the list must have been present for at least six weeks for a diagnosis of rhumatoid arthritis to be made. Making a diagnosis of rhumatoid arthritis can be a lengthy process, involving many lab tests and an exhaustive examination of the patient's medical history. Getting the diagnosis right is important, as treatment for rhumatoid arthritis can be counterproductive if the patient's actual ailment is one of the other illnesses similar to rhumatoid arthritis, such as gout, fibromyalgia or lupus. If health care providers are able to identify rhumatoid arthritis early, there are a number of treatments they can suggest to sharply mitigate the damage the illness can do over the patient's lifetime. As rhumatoid arthritis can leave patients unable to work and severely impact their quality of life, doing as much as possible to limit this disease's impact on the body is highly desirable. If you or someone you know displays the early warning signs of rhumatoid arthritis, seeking advice from a healthcare provider is important. Rhumatoid arthritis can be extremely painful, and taking steps to reduce the discomfort associated with this illness has very positive long and short term outcomes for patients.

 

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