Rheumatoid Arthritis Factor Test - One Method Used in Diagnosing the Disorder
 Rheumatoid arthritis is marked by many of the same symptoms that accompany a variety of other arthritis types - symptoms such as joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. However, treatments may vary from one type of arthritis to another, so it's important for physicians to produce an accurate diagnosis. If rheumatoid is a potential cause for your pain, your doctor may administer rheumatoid arthritis test, also known as a rheumatoid factor test. This test detects and measures a blood antibody that is present in 70-80% of patients that suffer with rheumatoid arthritis. However, in the early stages of the disease, the antibody isn't found as often, so doctors may use a variety of other methods to diagnose rheumatoid.
These methods may also be used in conjunction with a positive rheumatoid arthritis test to diagnose the disorder:
- Performing a medical history - In addition to questions about lifestyle, medications, and previous injuries and illnesses, your doctor will also ask some questions specific to your symptoms, including: "When is the pain most severe?" or, "Is the pain one-sided or does it occur in the same joints on both sides of your body?" As your medical care progresses, your doctor may ask these questions every time you visit so that he or she can best evaluate the status of your condition.
- Conducting a physical exam - during your first and subsequent medical visits, your doctor will look for common features found in rheumatoid arthritis patients. These include joint tenderness, joint swelling, joint misalignment, and loss of mobility in your joints.
- Lab Tests - in addition to the rheumatoid arthritis test mentioned above, doctors use other lab tests to help with diagnosis. There are various lab tests physicians may use to diagnose you including one to measure erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). This type of rheumatoid arthritis test measures how fast red blood cells in your blood sample fall to the bottom of a test tube. The faster red blood cells drop, the more inflammation is present in your body.
- X-rays - your doctor may take X-rays of your bones and joints to reveal swelling of your soft tissues, as well as bone density loss around your joints. As your condition progresses, X-rays may show small holes in your cartilage near the ends of your bones.
Consult your doctor if you suspect you suffer from this disease and would like to undergo a rheumatoid arthritis test or another diagnostic procedure.
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