Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by an inflammation of the synovium, or the tissue that lines and lubricates the joints. Over time, the inflamed synovial tissue begins to wear away at the cartilage and bone that makes up a join, causing permanent deformities. When diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis, doctors consider a combination of risk factors, symptoms, and test results.
Physicians diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis will ask a series of questions to determine whether there are any risk factors present that increase an individual's likelihood of developing the condition. While rheumatoid arthritis isn't technically a hereditary disease, experts believe that a predisposition to the condition can be passed down through a family. A diagnosing physician will want to know about any family history of rheumatoid arthritis or any other autoimmune diseases. The doctor will likely also ask about any history of smoking, which is a known risk factor for developing the disease.
Physicians will look for specific symptoms when diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis. Early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include pain in the small joints of the body, especially the hands, feet, ankles, and wrists. As the disease progresses, it's normal for sufferers to experience swelling, fatigue, weight loss, joints that are tender to the touch and stiffness upon waking in the morning.
Sufferers usually experience periods of intense disease activity, or flares, followed by periods of decreased disease activity during which their symptoms can disappear entirely, especially early in the disease progression. When diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis, a physician will evaluate a patient's symptoms by checking the joints for swelling, redness and warmth. She will also perform strength and reflex tests to determine any damage that many already have occurred to the joints.
There are also certain blood tests physicians can use when diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis. Tests can check for evidence of an inflammatory process taking place in the body, shown by an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Physicians may also run blood tests for rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies. An x-ray may also be ordered to both evaluate how far the disease has already progressed and serve as a base-line to compare against future x-rays.
Advances in disease treatment have made early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis particularly important. Although there is no cure, early treatment can significantly delay or even prevent disease progression. This is particularly important as rheumatoid arthritis can ultimately cause life-threatening inflammations of the blood vessels, pericardium, and heart.