Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease & Rheumatoid Factor (RA) Test: Everything You Need To Know

Are your mornings often achy? Have you ever woken up like your joints are stiff and achy? You're not alone if you are nodding with "Yes" while reading this. Arthritis is a silent condition behind the condition that messes with your joints, affecting millions. Rheumatoid Arthritis is the most common Arthritis form that affects joints, causing inflammation, pain, and stiffness in joints, leading to joint damage and deformities. RF factor test, also known as RA test or Rheumatoid Factor test, is often used to measure rheumatoid factor levels in the blood to help diagnose rheumatoid arthritis and distinguish it from other types of arthritis, ensuring a precise and accurate diagnosis.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 18 million people are living with Rheumatoid Arthritis; about 70% of all are women and 55% are older adults. The rate is rising alarmingly, causing concern among individuals and healthcare practitioners. Whether you are familiar with this silent enemy or looking to get your queries related to it resolved, we're here to make your journey a breeze. Dive into the blog to uncover how to understand Arthritis better and make life with achy joints a bit easier.

What is Arthritis?

Arthritis is an umbrella term encompassing a wide range of joint disorders characterized by pain, swelling, and stiffness in one or more joints. In general, there are more than 100 forms of Arthritis, most commonly named Osteoarthritis (OA), Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Gout, Juvenile Arthritis, etc. As a chronic condition, the disease can turn your life upside down and is most common in the lower back, hands, feet, hips, and knees, increasing the need for timely diagnosis for better management.

The condition is serious and can be severe if left unaddressed, but what exactly causes the disease? What are the risk factors linked with it? Let's find out.

Common causes & risk factors of Arthritis:

• Genetics: Your genetics or family history of Arthritis is the foremost factor that increases your chances of developing some form of Arthritis, including rheumatoid Arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.
• Age: As you grow, your chances of Arthritis grow with it. While anyone, even children, can have Arthritis, it is often common in elderly adults. Therefore, they have to be extra cautious. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of Arthritis, likely to affect people over 50.
• Autoimmune Disorders: Individuals with autoimmune conditions are more likely to develop Arthritis, which leads to inflammation and joint damage.
• Infections & Injuries: Certain infections or joint injuries can also trigger certain types of Arthritis.
• Obesity: Being overweight is a threat to your health. The excess body weight puts extra pressure on your weight-bearing joints, like knees and hips, increasing the risk for Arthritis.

Remember, it is not one or two but many factors contributing to different forms of Arthritis. Awareness of the common cause and your risk is the foremost step that can help you be proactive and take extra steps for improvement. But to be aware, you should know the early signs indicating the problem. So, what are those signs? Scroll down to unveil them one by one.

Symptoms of Arthritis:

Arthritis causes different symptoms depending on the severity, type, age & gender of an individual. However, some of the common signs associated with this disease are:

• Persistent Joint Pain: If you are waking up or experiencing too much pain in your joints, which may be constant or intermittent, it could be a sign of Arthritis. In simple words, too much and too often joint pain is not normal and may need your immediate attention.
• Unexplained Swelling: Arthritis is inflammation in joints, leading to tenderness or swelling in the joints, and is another common sign, indicating you need to get yourself tested.
• Stiffness: Joint stiffness that occurs, especially in the morning or after a period of inactivity, could be a sign of Arthritis.
• Decreased Range Of Motion: If your ability to move joints fully is compromised, it is a sign that something is not right with your joints, and you need to get tested.
• Warmth & Redness: Affected joints or joints affected with Arthritis, causing a warm feeling to touch and a red or swollen appearance, is a sign you need to examine yourself.

The symptoms and severity of each sign could vary for every individual, depending on different factors. Therefore, be aware, take every sign seriously, and get yourself tested for early and accurate diagnosis, ensuring better management of the condition.

Now, if you have concerns about the common diagnosis procedure that helps diagnose Arthritis, worry not, and go on.

How to diagnose Arthritis?

Besides evaluating your medical history, genetic factors, and physical examination, your doctor may suggest different blood or imaging tests to help diagnose Arthritis.

Common Blood Tests For Arthritis:

• Rheumatoid factor (RF) test: The Rheumatoid factor (RF) test checks for specific antibodies in the blood, contributing to inflammation and joint pain, and helps diagnose Rheumatoid Arthritis.
• ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate): Another common test that helps diagnose Arthritis is the ESR Test. It evaluates how much inflammation is present in the body—however, the test is used in conjunction with other tests or clinical evaluations for accurate diagnosis.
• Complete Blood Count (CBC) Test: Measuring your complete blood count also aids in diagnosing Arthritis. While it alone cannot confirm the disease, abnormal CBC results indicate the Arthritis. Further specific tests are typically needed for an accurate arthritis diagnosis.
• Anti-CCP Test (anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide): Anti-CCP Test also has a significant role in diagnosing and managing Arthritis by detecting antibodies specific to RA.
• Uric Acid Test: Gout is the most common form of Arthritis detected through Uric Acid Test.

Also Read: If you want to know what other Blood Tests For Arthritis, learn more from here:

https://redcliffelabs.com/myhealth/health/know-all-the-blood-tests-that-help-to-diagnose-arthritis/

This is not it. Depending on your condition and other factors, your doctor may suggest other tests that should be done as suggested for accurate diagnosis and better management of the disease.

Tips For Managing Arthritis:

Living with Arthritis can be hard and requires proactive self-care and lifestyle adjustments to ease symptoms and manage the condition better. So, check out the practical tips that can help manage this disease better:

Make Some Healthy Lifestyle Modifications:

• Shed those extra pounds, putting excess pressure on your joints.
• Engage in some physical activity for healthy joints.
• Protect joints during daily activities, especially if you already have affected joints.

Choose Healthy Diet:

• Make an anti-inflammatory diet a part of your diet for anti-inflammatory effects.
• Stay hydrated to maintain joint function & lubrication.
• Limit the intake of food that triggers the Arthritis pain.

Follow Pain Management Practices:

• Take prescribed medicines as instructed to manage pain and inflammation.
• Use cold & hot therapy, following the advice of your healthcare practitioner.

Embrace The Power Of Regular Arthritis Screening:

• Consider a regular Arthritis Test to monitor the condition.
• Discuss side effects related to medications (if any) to help doctors make necessary adjustments.

Remember, Arthritis Management combines a healthy diet, healthy choices, and routine testing. However, the results are highly individualized; what may work for one may not work for another. Therefore, timely and regular diagnosis, if required, is essential to manage the symptoms and live better with Arthritis.

Trust Redcliffe Labs For Arthritis Test

If you have symptoms or risk factors suggestive of Arthritis, getting tested in time is critical for accurate diagnosis. And for accurate diagnosis, Redcliffe Labs is the foremost choice. Being a trusted diagnostic partner, we offer a comprehensive range of health tests, including an Arthritis Test that helps diagnose the condition and determine appropriate treatment for specific conditions. So, delay no more and book the Arthritis Test at home with us now.