Rheumatologists treat multiple forms of arthritis and auto-immune conditions. Here are ten reasons why you might need to see a rheumatologist:
- If you are suffering from chronic joint pain, which lasts for several weeks. It could be a sign of chronic inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis, which needs early treatment to avoid chronic joint damage.
- If you have observed joint swelling lasting for several weeks. It could be a sign of inflammatory arthritis.
- If you have severe joint stiffness lasting for several hours in the mornings. This could be another clue for inflammation in the joints. Such symptom could indicate inflammatory arthritis which need early evaluation by a rheumatologist to make an accurate diagnosis.
- If you have unexplained constellation of symptoms (skin rash, joint pain, joint swelling, and fever ), and the initial evaluation by your primary care physician has not resulted in a clear diagnosis. Such symptoms could indicate multi-system autoimmune diseases such as lupus or vasculitis.
- If you are below the age of 45 and have chronic low back pain with no known injuries to your back. This could indicate inflammatory back pain, which is a sign of spondylarthritis.
- If you have skin psoriasis and have chronic joint pain, swelling and severe joint stiffness. It could be indicative of psoriatic arthritis. A rheumatologist could help effetively manage it.
- If you have unexplained weakness of your arms and legs, causing difficulty standing or lifting your arm. This could be an early sign of inflammation in the muscles (idiopathic inflammatory myopathy).
- If you have chronic unexplained severe dry eyes and dry mouth. Sjogren’s syndrome, a form of auto-immune condition affecting the glands could cause such symptoms.
- If your primary care doctor or any other doctors in your care team suspects vasculitis, which is a systemic disease affecting multiple organs such as lungs, sinuses, kidneys and skin.
- If you have high uric acid and suffer from intermittent joint pain and swelling. It could indicate gouty arthritis. It could be effectively managed with many effective medications.
If you have any of these symptoms, please ask your primary care doctor to refer to our fellowship trained , experienced and compassionate rheumatologist at Empowered Arthritis and Rheumatology Center PLLC (empoweredarthritis.com).