How to Diagnose Arthritis & Crohn's Disease

Arthritis is a condition characterized by joint inflammation that causes pain, stiffness, swelling and limited movement. The more than 100 types of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, are caused by the breakdown of joint cartilage. Crohn's disease involves chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. It is a form of inflammatory bowel disease and usually affects the intestines, although it can affect the entire gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus.

Instructions

Arthritis

• 1

  See your doctor. Your physician will take your medical history and place pressure on affected areas to determine tenderness, warmth and pain. He will also have you move so he can see if your range of motion is limited because of arthritis.

• 2

  X-rays of your joints and blood tests can be valuable tools in pinpointing the cause of symptoms and determining whether you have arthritis.

• 3

  Your doctor may insert a needle into the affected area to remove fluid from the joint. The fluid will be examined under a microscope for infection or other possible causes of arthritis.

Crohn's Disease

• 4

  An examination by your doctor may reveal mouth ulcers, swollen joints, skin rashes or a mass or tenderness in the abdomen.

• 5

  Other information can be obtained with a barium enema and upper GI series. In a barium enema, a liquid called barium sulfate is placed into the rectum and an X-ray taken. The barium sulfate highlights the large intestine on the X-ray. An upper GI series is a set of X-rays your doctor will take to examine your small intestine, stomach and esophagus.

• 6

  In a colonoscopy, the physician uses an instrument called a colonoscope, which is inserted into the anus. The large intestine is examined for inflammation and other problems.

• 7

  Imaging tests such as a CT scan or an MRI of the abdomen can be used to help your doctor see areas inside.

• 8

  In an endoscopy, a flexible tube with a camera attached is inserted into the body through a small incision or natural opening. This allows the doctor to detect problems in various locations.

• 9

  Consider other diagnostic tests. A sigmoidoscopy with enteroscopy uses an instrument called a sigmoidoscope for an internal exam of the colon. Your doctor may conduct a series of X-rays on your small bowel, or a laboratory can analyze a stool culture to detect organisms that may cause intestinal abnormalities.