What to check for rheumatism

Rheumatism usually requires examination of blood routine, inflammatory markers, autoantibodies, joint imaging, and specific organ function assessment. These examinations help to clarify the diagnosis, assess disease activity, and guide treatment.

1. Blood routine:

Blood routine is a basic examination that can observe changes in the number of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. During the active phase of rheumatoid arthritis, there may be an increase in white blood cells or platelets, while diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus may lead to a decrease in white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Doctors can preliminarily determine whether there is an infection or involvement of the blood system through this examination.

2. Inflammatory indicators:

mainly include erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein. An increase in these two indicators usually indicates the presence of an inflammatory response in the body, but it is not unique to rheumatism. Infection or trauma can also cause an increase. In rheumatism, they are commonly used to monitor whether the disease is in an active phase, for example, when the condition of rheumatoid arthritis patients worsens, these two values will significantly increase.

3. Autoantibodies:

This is a key diagnostic item for rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid factor, anti cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies, anti nuclear antibodies, anti double stranded DNA antibodies, etc. Positive rheumatoid factor and anti cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies have important diagnostic value for rheumatoid arthritis; Positive anti nuclear antibodies are common in systemic lupus erythematosus; Anti double stranded DNA antibodies are closely related to lupus activity. Different antibody combinations can help distinguish specific types of rheumatic diseases.

4. Joint imaging:

includes X-ray, ultrasound, or magnetic resonance imaging. X-rays can display late stage changes such as joint space stenosis and bone erosion; Ultrasound can detect joint synovitis and fluid accumulation; Magnetic resonance imaging is more sensitive to early cartilage and bone marrow edema. Doctors will choose appropriate imaging methods based on the patient's symptoms, such as hand X-rays for rheumatoid arthritis and sacroiliac joint magnetic resonance imaging for ankylosing spondylitis.

5. Specific organ function assessment:

Some rheumatic diseases may involve the kidneys, heart, or lungs, so targeted examinations are needed. For example, patients with systemic lupus erythematosus need to undergo urine routine and renal function tests to screen for lupus nephritis; Patients with scleroderma may need to undergo lung function tests and high-resolution CT scans to assess the degree of pulmonary fibrosis. These examinations help to detect organ damage early and intervene promptly. There are many examination items for rheumatism, and the specific selection should be based on individual symptoms and signs. It is recommended to complete the examination under the guidance of a rheumatologist and immunologist, and regularly check relevant indicators after diagnosis. At the same time, attention should be paid to keeping joints warm and avoiding excessive fatigue. In terms of diet, foods rich in calcium and vitamin D, such as milk and soy products, can be appropriately increased to help maintain bone health.