The Young and the RA

I saw this video and thought it provided a pretty good look at RA. Check it out. 

Until next time, 

S.P.          

As I explained in my ABOUT page, I started this blog for a grad school class. Now the time has come for my final project for the class, and I need to learn more about my readers, get advice for improving my blog, etc. So please help!!! Only 10 questions, and I’d really appreciate any input you can give.

Click here to take survey

Thanks,

S.P.

One thing I found really interesting when talking to others with RA was how some people are diagnosed almost right away while others are diagnosed quite a while down the road. I ended up asking my rheumatologist about this, and he gave me a few different possibilities: 

One, not all doctors know a lot about RA. Not even all rheumatologists specialize in RA. So if you have a doctor or rheumatologist that isn’t familiar with RA, they may first be looking at a diagnosis they are more familiar with before realizing you have RA.

Two, some people with RA don’t show the classic symptoms of RA. Those classic symptoms include:

• “Stiffness: The joint does not move as well as it once did. Its range of motion (the extent to which the appendage of the joint, such as the arm, leg, or finger, can move in different directions) may be reduced. Typically, stiffness is most noticeable in the morning and improves later in the day.
• Inflammation: Redness, tenderness, and warmth are the hallmarks of inflammation.
• Swelling: The area around the affected joint is swollen and puffy.
• Nodules: These are hard bumps that appear on or near the joint. They often are found near the elbows. They are most noticeable on the part of the joint that juts out when the joint is flexed.
• Pain: Pain in rheumatoid arthritis has several sources. Pain can come from inflammation or swelling of the joint and surrounding tissues or from working the joint too hard. The intensity of the pain varies by the individual.

“These symptoms may keep you from being able to carry out your normal activities. General symptoms include the following: 

• Malaise (blah feeling)
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Myalgias (muscle aches)
• Weakness or loss of energy” (eMedicineHealth).

Additionally, most people with RA (not all, however) are positive for the rheumatoid factor:

“Rheumatoid factor is present in 80% of adults who have rheumatoid arthritis but there is a much lower prevalence in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The incidence of rheumatoid factor increases with duration of disease in rheumatoid arthritis: at 3 months the incidence is 33%, while at one year it is 75%. Up to 20% of rheumatoid arthritis patients remain negative for rheumatoid factor (also known as “seronegative rheumatoid arthritis”) throughout the course of their disease” (About.com)

Looking for the rheumatoid factor is a common way that doctors diagnose RA, problem is that not all people with RA have it and not all that have it have RA. So while it is a good indicator, it isn’t conclusive.

Diagnosing RA isn’t an exact science at this point, which is why it can take so long for some people. So give your rheumatologist a break if s/he was late on the pick up.

Until next time,

S.P.