Making the Diagnosis
If you have symptoms like those described above, see your doctor as soon as possible; an early diagnosis means faster treatment and less damage to your joints. Your doctor will first do a physical examination and ask about your medical history and signs and symptoms such as morning stiffness that may alert them to the diagnosis. A blood test is used to determine the presence of an antibody called rheumatoid factor, which is found in 80% of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) sufferers.
An erythrocyte sedimentation rate or "sed rate" test is often done to identify whether inflammation is present. This helps the doctor differentiate between RA and osteoarthritis (OA). This is important so that your condition can be properly treated. One obvious clue is that while RA usually strikes symmetrically, affecting both right and left sides, OA can develop in joints on only one side of the body.
An X-ray can show how much damage has already been done to hand or wrist joints.