6 Rheumatoid Arthritis Blood Tests, Plus Other Diagnostic Tools

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition that causes inflammation and pain in your joints. Over time it can lead to joint damage. There’s no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, but treatment can help manage your symptoms. The first step toward a treatment plan is a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis. There isn’t a test that can confirm a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. However, multiple blood tests can indicate rheumatoid arthritis is the likely cause of your symptoms. This article will take a look at 6 commonly used tests and how they help doctors diagnose rheumatoid arthritis. 1. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) testAn erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) test evaluates how much inflammation is present in your body. The test measures how quickly your red blood cells, called erythrocytes, separate from your other blood cells in a lab when they are treated with a substance that prevents clotting. Red blood cells clump together when there’s inflammation in your body, making them se...