Why You Need a Blood Test For Rheumatoid Arthritis

There is a wealth of information available out there about rheumatoid arthritis and you can start you search online or go through medical books. You can find all sorts of helpful information about how this ailment is treated and even find alternative treatments. You can even go as far as diagnosing yourself to check if you are showing the symptoms of RA. But it's always safe to check for accuracy and validity which is why getting a blood test for rheumatoid arthritis is necessary.

Getting Tested

There are different kinds of blood tests for RA and the results can give you information that can be very useful for diagnostic evaluation and especially recommendations on how it can be treated. What the blood test does is that it finds the disease in your system and affirms if you do in fact have rheumatoid arthritis. Through these blood tests you can get an accurate diagnosis because having these tests are crucial indicators to find out about a patient's condition.

Blood Test Types

The are four different types of blood tests performed for those who want to know the source of their symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Here are some helpful descriptions of each of them.

The first type of blood test is called Erythrocite Sedimentation Rate or ESR which determines how much inflammation you have in your body. This test is performed by letting the blood flow downwards and the rate at which it falls determines the inflammation. The faster blood flows down, the higher the inflammation. The healthier you are the slower your blood falls. Using this type of test pinpoints where in your body is the inflammation. This test is not only limited to determine rheumatoid arthritis but it helps in all types of diagnosis.

C-Reactive Protein is the second type of blood test to check for rheumatoid arthritis. This test is almost similar to ESR in that it can be a helpful diagnostic tool and detects irritation in your body.

The next test is called Rheumatoid Factor test which is effective 70%- 90% of the time for rheumatoid arthritis patients. The only big issue about this test is that it only detects rheumatoid arthritis on the severe level.

The last test is Plasma Velocity which is fast replacing the ESR method. The best feature of this test is that it uses fewer variables that can affect the result. This means it is more accurate because it gives a closer look on the blood plasma protein content.

The Importance of Blood Testing

A physician will perform more than one type of blood test to their patient in order to get a clearer diagnosis. These tests have been proven effective and necessary for rheumatoid arthritis patients. It has been a standard procedure being done in most hospitals and laboratories as a helpful aid for doctors to determine the source of a patient's symptoms.

Before going through a blood test or any kind of procedure is to get some information on how to prepare for it. It is the duty of every medical technician to give you specific instructions on preparing yourself for a blood test for rheumatoid arthritis and it is your job to follow them precisely for your own benefit.