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This panel includes:

Sedimentation Rate (Westergren) – Helps to determine whether a condition causing inflammation is present.

Anti-Nuclear Antibody (ANA) – Test that measures the amount and pattern of abnormal antibody that work against the body's tissues (autoantibody).

Rheumatoid Factor – Used to help support a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.

hs- CRP C-Reactive Protein – Helps to diagnose and monitor the activity of some inflammatory and infectious conditions.

Uric Acid, Serum – This test measures the amount of uric acid in a blood sample. Uric acid is produced from the breakdown of your body's cells and from the food you eat. High uric acid could be a sign of gout.

What is Arthritis? - Everything You Need To Know

Arthritis is a general term that refers to joint pain and condition. Frequently though, arthritis is misunderstood as a single disease. There are over 100 types of arthritis and the conditions that result from them, and people affected, regardless of age, can develop associated severe illnesses and many disabilities.

The joints are the areas of the body where two bones meet, and their role is to provide mobility to the limbs connected by the respective bones of the joint. Arthritis means inflammation of one or more joints, accompanied by pain called arthralgia.

People of all ages and genders can have and have arthritis. Even though you may think that arthritis occurs only with age, this is not the only trigger. The condition can also occur as a result of a severe blow or physical exertion by athletes.

More than 120 million adults and nearly 600,000 children worldwide have arthritis or some other type of rheumatic disease. Estimates include only patients who report having doctor-diagnosed arthritis.

In the United States, only an estimated  54.5 million people are affected by arthritis, this being the primary reason for disability. The number of people with arthritis is unknown, as many do not seek treatment until their symptoms become severe.

What Causes Arthritis?

The causes of arthritis depend on the form of the condition. Arthritis types vary from those caused by the rupture and wear of the cartilage to those caused by the inflammation resulting from an overactive immune system, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Types of Arthritis

Arthritis is a condition that can affect your quality of life quite seriously. For example, severe arthritis limits movement to such an extent that the affected person can no longer easily stand or stand in certain positions. The most common diagnosed arthritis types are:

Inflammatory arthritis-inflammation occurs without a valid physiological reason, on the surface of the joints and in the superficial layer of the bones. Inflammatory arthritis is classified as reactive arthritis, spondylosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Connective tissue disease- is a form of arthritis manifested by inflammation and local pain. It can affect the skin, kidneys, muscles, or lungs, and the most common form of connective tissue disease are scleroderma lupus.

Degenerative arthritis or Osteoarthritis- mainly affects the cartilage that covers the bones and leads to their inflammation. As a result, the cartilage becomes thinner, thicker, and more porous. To compensate for the loss of cartilage, the body's reaction is to reshape the affected bones, leading to abnormal bone growths, called osteophytes, and deformities of the joints.

Metabolic arthritis- occurs due to the accumulation of purines, substances that are naturally produced by the body and are found in foods such as red meat, sweets, and seafood. People who overeat these purine foods have high uric acid levels, which build up in the joints and cause local pain.

Septic arthritis- mainly affects the knee and hip. Streptococcus and staphylococcus are the leading causes of acute septic arthritis, and candida frequently leads to chronic septic arthritis. Joint problems, bacterial infections, or diseases such as diabetes and autoimmune diseases are risk factors for septic arthritis.

Psoriatic arthritis- is a common symptom in people living with psoriasis. The disease occurs when the immune system attacks the body's healthy cells in most cases. As a result, inflammation builds up in the joints. In general, people with psoriatic arthritis have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, high triglycerides, and obesity.

How Can You Detect Arthritis?

Diagnosing arthritis may be a difficult thing do. There Are so many types of arthritis and disorders associated with it one test may not be enough to detect it.

Therefore, there were developed tests packages to diagnose better and monitor a possible arthritis disorder.

Your physician may ask you to perform a set of blood tests, review your medical history, check your joints, X-ray, ultrasounds closely, and sometimes MRI may also be needed. In some instances, arthrocentesis is required. The latter is a procedure that tests a sample of liquid from your joints.

What are The Symptoms of Arthritis?

Common symptoms of joint arthritis include:

• swelling
• pain in one or more joints
• stiffness
• decreased joint mobility
• low-grade fever
• fatigue
• lose weight

Symptoms may appear and disappear and may be mild, moderate, or severe. They can stay the same for years and then progress quickly. Severe arthritis can lead to chronic pain, inability to do daily activities, and difficulty walking or climbing stairs.

Arthritis can cause permanent changes in the joints. These changes may be visible, such as a knot in the joints of the fingers, but often the damage can only be seen by X-rays.

Some types of arthritis also affect other body parts, such as the heart, eyes, lungs, kidneys, and skin.

Essential Blood Tests in Diagnosing Arthritis

Sedimentation Rate (Westergren) - This test is meant to measure the level of inflammation. It measures the rate at which red blood cells sink into a vial, which may indicate if inflammation is present in your body. Higher levels may indicate inflammation in your body; however, this won't indicate its localization or what causes it if taken alone. This is why this test is accurate alongside other tests.

Antinuclear Antibody (ANA) - May indicate the presence of Lupus Autoimmune Disease or other Rheumatic Diseases. This test may occasionally be positive in a person without rheumatic disease. 95% of persons diagnosed with SLE or Lupus have a positive test.

Rheumatoid Factor - Usually used to diagnose rheumatoid arthritis. Note: some persons that have rheumatoid arthritis may never test positive. On the other hand, in the early stage of the RA, the test's result may be false negative. Hence it is important to have the test repeated if needed and performed alongside other relevant tests.

C-Reactive Protein (CRP)- This test measures the inflammation in your body, measuring a particular protein that may be found in the blood. Increased levels may show inflammation or acute infection.

Uric Acid, Serum - This test is usually undertaken to detect cases of gout.

These tests have to be interpreted by a doctor, and medication should be followed only at their recommendation.

Order Your Tests Now

Depending on your particular situation, symptoms, and suspected diagnosis, your doctor may order several types of tests. Unfortunately, there is no single test to diagnose all types of arthritis.

Instead, a combination of these different types of tests is often needed, and more importantly, it is most effective in finding all the clues required for an accurate diagnosis.

Coming in your help, DiscountedLabs.com has developed an arthritis panel that comprises the most common tests doctors recommend to identify your problem and start work from there for your health.

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