How to Test for Rheumatoid Arthritis
For people that believe that they are afflicted by rheumatoid arthritis, they should first rule out a number of other diseases. Rheumatoid arthritis has many symptoms that can be mistaken for an injury and is often overlooked. It is important that you are able to describe your pain accurately enough to your doctor, so they are able to run the proper tests to get you on the best treatment for your condition.
- Make an appointment to visit a rheumatologist or even an internist. A rheumatologist specializes in treating and diagnosing people that are having problems with inflammatory conditions, while an internist can help handle a number of diseases.
- Have certain tests done to determine if there is any inflammation present where you feel pain. The most common test is the sedimentation rate test, and it shows how fast your red blood cells will drop to the bottom of test, usually within a one hour time frame. The faster the blood cells drop to the bottom will determine how much inflammation is present.
- Have tests done for the rheumatoid factor. This test will check for a specific antibody that is usually present in a person that has rheumatoid arthritis. This is one of the more reliable tests because the rheumatoid factor is rarely in people that do not have this form of arthritis, which make it a great indicator of whether or not you have the disease.
- Have x-rays taken of certain joints in your body. X-rays of joints that have rheumatoid arthritis will show some form of damage that can tell doctors if any other treatments or tests need to be done.