Diagnosing RA
Diagnosing RA (rheumatoid arthritis) is difficult to do when it is in the early stages. There is no specific test that can be performed to clearly identify rheumatoid arthritis. Instead, doctors diagnose rheumatoid arthritis based on factors that are associated with this disease. The American College of Rheumatology uses seven different criteria to help in accurately diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis. The first criteria used to help in diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis is the presence of morning stiffness. If morning stiffness is present in and around the joints and last for more than one hour after arising, you may have rheumatoid arthritis. Another criteria is if swelling or fluid is present in at least three joint areas at the same time. Arthritis in the hands or wrists joints is another factor doctors look for when diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis. Doctors also check to see if the same joint areas are affected on both sides of the body.
The presence of rheumatoid factors in blood test and joint x-rays with findings that are typical of rheumatoid arthritis are the last two criteria that are physicians look for when diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis. If the patient possesses four or more of these factors and those symptoms have been present for at least six weeks then diagnosing a patient with rheumatoid arthritis is verified. If you have rheumatoid arthritis one of the main frustrations is that symptoms can come and go. It is important to try and see your doctor when the disease is active and symptoms are present. This is important for several reasons. The first reason is that it may be hard to describe symptoms to doctors in such a way that will allow them to make the diagnosis. The second reason is that rheumatoid arthritis can appear similar to other common causes of joint pain, possibly leading to the wrong diagnosis. And third, many times patients often think they are feeling the normal aches and pains associated with aging and just live with their symptoms for a long time before getting treatment. This can be harmful due to the fact that joint damage can occur while you are relating the pain to aging. Diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis can be very difficult due to the disease masquerading as other diseases. Because of this a proper diagnosis is often missed and the symptoms continue as does the join damage.
If you suspect that you have rheumatoid arthritis see a rheumatologist or your primary care doctor right away. See Also:
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