This simple question is an important one to ask if you’ve been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. That’s because many health conditions can look a lot like RA, leading to a frustrating misdiagnosis.
According to the Arthritis Foundation, rheumatoid arthritis (or RA) is an autoimmune disease that affects 1.5 million Americans. Its onset occurs between the ages of 30 and 60, making it a disease that often surfaces in midlife.
It is more common in women than men, with three times more women developing it. However, RA is a bit fickle in that it is said to come on at a later age in men as opposed to women.
RA is a disease of confusion. This is because, when a person has RA, the body’s immune system makes a mistake. To put this in context, the immune system normally attacks things that it considers to be bad, like bacteria and viruses. Its job is to look for things that simply shouldn’t be present in the body and try to destroy them.
But in the case of RA, the immune system mistakes the body’s tissue as a foreign invader and attacks it. The result is inflammation with a thickening of the tissues lining the joints. Consequently, pain develops. And even more concerning, the immune system can wage war against bodily organs in extreme cases of RA.
RA generally affects the joints in six places: hands, feet, wrists, elbows, knees and ankles. Further, these issues are often uniform in that if one side is affected, then the other will be, too.
RA is said to be a “systematic disease” because it can affect the entire body, including the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, which can make the disease very dangerous.
When it comes to facing an RA diagnosis, one important thing to know is that inflammation needs to be controlled because it can cause harm to the body. According to the Arthritis Foundation, unchecked RA can damage the bones, cartilage and elastic tissue covering the ends of the bones in the joints.
The disease can even cause joints to become deformed. And once damage takes place, it’s irreversible. Plus, rheumatoid arthritis is currently incurable, which is why it’s important to stay on top of RA by taking steps to manage it.
This is easier said than done because of the possibility of misdiagnosis. Generally speaking, RA can masquerade as other conditions. So some of the symptoms associated with the disease can present in a similar manner as many other health issues, and as a result, the true culprit can be missed.
Unfortunately, a misdiagnosis can lead the disease down a faster rate of progression. This is why it’s important to be informed about other conditions that can masquerade as RA. Medications and physical therapy can slow the progress of the disease, making correct diagnosis essential.
So what do you do if you’ve been diagnosed with a disease that may or may not be RA?
The answer means taking the time to ask questions. To protect the best interest of your health, you need to ask these three things. First, is this truly RA? Second, what other diseases could this health issue be? And third, should I get another opinion?
Don’t take this lightly. The answers could affect treatment options and ultimately your general health. It’s your job to stay on top of any health issues that you face.
It's important to be forthcoming with your doctor about your concerns. Don’t leave any symptoms out in the process of describing your condition. This is the best way to help doctors form an accurate diagnosis.
In the meantime, check out these five health conditions that can mimic RA.
Lupus
According to the Lupus Foundation of America, lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can strike any part of the body, including the skin, joints and even organs.
The scary thing is that lupus can sometimes look like rheumatoid arthritis. "The arthritis of lupus can mimic very closely that of rheumatoid arthritis…but in contrast to RA, SLE does not cause an erosive, deforming arthritis, and joint symptoms tend to be milder,” Natalie E. Azar, M.D., assistant clinical professor of medicine and rheumatology at the NYU Langone Medical Center in New York, tells Everyday Health.
Psoriatic Arthritis
According to Health Central, psoriatic arthritis can be mistaken for RA because of its similar symptoms, like pain, swelling and joint stiffness. That said, there are ways to tell the difference.
The first is most people who have psoriatic arthritis (PA) develop psoriasis before PA. (In fact, Health Central says that this percentage is 85 percent.) Plus, those with PA experience asymmetric joint involvement and a lack of nodules.
Osteoarthritis
According to Health magazine, osteoarthritis and RA can often be confused. “Everybody says that arthritis is one word," Christopher Evans, D.Sc., Ph.D., of the Maurice Mueller Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School in Boston, tells Health. "But the conditions are quite different."
Health says that one general way to tell the difference can be age. Osteoarthritis is usually seen later in life, but RA usually develops between the ages of 30 and 60. If it strikes someone younger than 16, it’s called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Plus, RA can exhibit symptoms not associated with osteoarthritis, like fever.
According to Health, RA and osteoarthritis are also seen in different places. Whereas RA is associated with small areas like wrists, osteoarthritis affects bigger areas like the hips. Further, osteoarthritis can affect just one side of the body, but RA usually affects both sides.
Fibromyalgia
According to Healthline, fibromyalgia is another condition that can be mistaken for RA. This is because both conditions can cause fatigue and affect sleep. Both osteoarthritis and RA can result in morning stiffness, and they can both affect movement and cause a tingly or numb sensation.
Lyme Disease
Lyme disease can be serious. And unfortunately, it can mimic the symptoms of RA. This is a scary condition that is the subject of blogs of frustrated, misdiagnosed patients.
Lyme disease is contracted through tick bites. The best-case scenario is for it to be treated early. Unfortunately, this condition is confused with RA because its symptoms can mimic those of RA. For example, Lyme disease can cause fatigue, and so can RA. It also causes joints to be stiff and painful, just like RA. And it can cause sleep disturbances, just like RA.
Autoimmune Hepatitis
According to Health Central, autoimmune hepatitis can at times be seen with other health conditions, like RA. This condition causes the immune system to wage war with the liver, causing both inflammation and damage. And it can escalate if not managed, leading to cirrhosis of the liver and even liver failure.