| Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is known to cause the | | | | attack the body's own tissues instead of foreign |
| inflammation of joints, and its damage gradually | | | | bodies because of the increased rheumatoid factors. |
| reduces body movement. The symptoms can be | | | | But not all rheumatoid arthritis patients test positive in |
| observed as stiff joints in the morning hours; as one | | | | latex test. Another diagnosis, called Erythrocyte |
| ages, RA can affect other organs of the body such | | | | Sedimentation Rate, involves collecting and checking |
| as the spleen, blood vessels, and lungs. There is no | | | | the blood for the rate of sedimentation. If the rate of |
| one particular cause for rheumatoid arthritis. It may be | | | | sedimentation of red blood cells is high, the patient is |
| caused by an infection in the immune system. It may | | | | said to have an active inflammation in the body, a |
| be a genetic disease running in the family. Or, the | | | | severe case of rheumatoid arthritis. Similarly, tests are |
| cause of rheumatoid arthritis can be non-genetic, | | | | also conducted to test for an increase in C-reactive |
| affecting the person at some point of life. Studies are | | | | protein in blood, which may result in an increased |
| ongoing to identify if any bacteria or viruses may | | | | inflammation in body. These tests are often conducted |
| cause rheumatoid arthritis. Just as identifying the cause | | | | again after a certain time period to diagnose for the |
| of the disease is difficult, diagnosing RA is also not an | | | | rate of inflammation as high or low. Bone densitometry |
| easy task. There are many methods and techniques | | | | is yet another suggested diagnosis, using imaging to |
| of diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis. Of course initially, the | | | | measure bone density and osteoporosis, a common |
| person goes through a complete physical examination | | | | characteristic of extreme rheumatoid arthritis. Magnetic |
| offered by the doctor. The diagnosis of the doctor is | | | | resonance imaging and ultra sound--although |
| verified and concluded through the laboratory tests | | | | rarely--are used to diagnose inflammation in joints |
| before administering treatment. | | | | when rheumatoid arthritis is at an early stage. But an |
| A latex test is one of the most recommended | | | | X-ray may only help in identifying the deformity of the |
| diagnoses. The test is used to detect the presence of | | | | bones in the joint at a later stage. Based on the |
| rheumatoid factor in blood. In most cases of | | | | diagnosis, the consulting doctor suggests treatments. |
| rheumatoid arthritis, the anti-bodies or white blood cells | | | | |