Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information)

For the WikiDoc page for this topic, click here

WikiDoc Resources for Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information)
Articles
Most recent articles on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) Most cited articles on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) Review articles on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) Articles on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) in N Eng J Med, Lancet, BMJ
Media
Powerpoint slides on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) Images of Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) Photos of Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) Podcasts & MP3s on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) Videos on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information)
Evidence Based Medicine
Cochrane Collaboration on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) Bandolier on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) TRIP on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information)
Clinical Trials
Ongoing Trials on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) at Clinical Trials.gov Trial results on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) Clinical Trials on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) at Google
Guidelines / Policies / Govt
US National Guidelines Clearinghouse on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) NICE Guidance on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) NHS PRODIGY Guidance FDA on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) CDC on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information)
Books
Books on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information)
News
Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) in the news Be alerted to news on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) News trends on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information)
Commentary
Blogs on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information)
Definitions
Definitions of Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information)
Patient Resources / Community
Patient resources on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) Discussion groups on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) Patient Handouts on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) Directions to Hospitals Treating Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) Risk calculators and risk factors for Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information)
Healthcare Provider Resources
Symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) Causes & Risk Factors for Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) Diagnostic studies for Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) Treatment of Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information)
Continuing Medical Education (CME)
CME Programs on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information)
International
Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) en Espanol Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) en Francais
Business
Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information) in the Marketplace Patents on Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information)
Experimental / Informatics
List of terms related to Rheumatoid arthritis (patient information)

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Jinhui Wu, MD

Please Join in Editing This Page and Apply to be an Editor-In-Chief for this topic: There can be one or more than one Editor-In-Chief. You may also apply to be an Associate Editor-In-Chief of one of the subtopics below. Please mail us [2] to indicate your interest in serving either as an Editor-In-Chief of the entire topic or as an Associate Editor-In-Chief for a subtopic. Please be sure to attach your CV and or biographical sketch.

How do I know if I have rheumatoid arthritis and what are the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis?

Signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis come and go, depending on the degree of tissue inflammation. When the disease is active, the following symptoms appear.

• Morning stiffness in the joints
• Joint pain
• Joint swelling
• Rheumatoid nodules: Firm bumps of tissue under the skin on the arms.
• Fatigue and weakness
• Low fever
• Weight loss
• When heart is affected, patient may show signs of chest pain, shortness of breath or edema of lower limbs.

Who is at risk for rheumatoid arthritis?

As a autoimmune disease, the cause of rheumatoid arthritis is not clear.

How to know you have rheumatoid arthritis?

• Blood tests: These tests can assist in making a diagnosis of rheumatic arthritis.

• Rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) and antinuclear antibody (ANA): These antibodies can be found in most of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
• Sedimentation rate (ESR): This test can measure how much inflammation is in the body. Patients with rheumatic arthritis may show an increased ESR.
• Complete blood count

• Synovial fluid examination: When a patient demonstrate the signs of acute inflammatory arthritis, it is necessary to aspirate synovial fluid of the involved joint to rule out an infectious arthritis. During the procedure, the doctor may use a needle to draw fluid from your affected joint. Based on the discovery of urate crystals in the synovial fluid or soft tissues, the doctors can confirm the diagnosis.
• Joint x-ray: This image can help track the progression of rheumatoid arthritis in the joints over time.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): An MRI uses magnetic fields but it is a different type of image than what is produced by computed tomography (CT) and produces detailed images of the joint.

When to seek urgent medical care?

Call your doctor if you have symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Where to find medical care for rheumatoid arthritis?

Directions to Hospitals Treating rheumatoid arthritis

Copyleft Sources

http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/876.printerview.html

http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Rheumatic_Disease/rheumatoid_arthritis_ff.asp

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000431.htm

http://www.medicinenet.com/rheumatoid_arthritis/article.htm

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/rheumatoid-arthritis/DS00020