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Article Series: Arthritis
Help Me Understand Arthritis & Arthritis Pain
How
To Diagnose Arthritis
There is said to be approximately one
hundred types of arthritic diseases. At times the symptoms of these
various types overlap. And though it may be a straightforward
diagnosis for some cases - for others it may take some time
for the specific type of arthritis to be narrowed down.
What is important to remember is that if you or someone you
know begins to develop symptoms that seem to point to arthritis
- and these symptoms last longer than a couple of weeks - then
it is time to get a check up by a doctor or a rheumatologist.
The longer the disease has to progress the more likelihood
that there will be irreversible damage to bones, joints or
even organs.
Some of the more basic
indicators are signs of inflammation
such as redness, swelling and tenderness in and around a joint.
Along with pain there may be a stiffness that only allows for
a limited range of movement.
Your physician will proceed with a diagnosis after he has
concluded a physical examination and can evaluate your medical
history along with any diagnostic tests and X-rays given. Of
course the existence of pain, swelling or stiffness in the
joints is a primary sign. There could be bony lumps or spurs
that appear in the end and middle joints of fingers. And the
affected joints may not only be difficult to move but may also
be thicker than usual. Certain blood exams are able to show
the presence of gout or lupus. Others can detect the presence
of a 'rheumatoid factor' which is an antibody that can help
confirm that Rheumatoid Arthritis is a possibility. These blood
tests will help narrow the focus to a specific type of arthritis.
Unfortunately there are types of this disease that are harder
to detect. This may mean subsequent testing and a period of
time spent with different specialists. Imaging techniques may
be employed such as arthography that uses a contrast dye to
highlight problems in and around joints that may not easily
be seen on regular x-rays. Thermal imaging is used to measure
the contrast in heat on skin which is common to arthritic joints.
And MRIs seem to help in detecting bone erosion in finer detail
and thus picking it up sooner that standards x-rays might.
Ultrasound imaging is gaining credence for the same reason.
Another detection device is called Joint
Fluid Analysis wherein
a needle and syringe are used to extract fluid from around
a swollen joint to be examined by a specialist for the presence
of inflammatory cells. However it will be evident that something
is amiss immediately if the liquid is cloudy. Normal fluid
will be somewhere between clear and light yellow and viscous
in nature. Extracting the liquid will not only help with the
diagnosis it may also provide some immediate relief of pressure
on the joint.
Over all, researchers are working diligently to discover quicker
and more precise methods of narrowing down the factors that
are at work in any individual that define what type of arthritis
they are dealing with. Given that many times a combination
of types may be at work it is a challenging problem to say
the least.
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SolveYourProblem.com
: 2009
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