Tests your doctor might have to do

(See Arthritis Ireland’s JIA Explained for more information)

Blood tests can help with diagnosis by testing for levels of auto-antibodies like rheumatoid factor (RF) which is present in most adults with rheumatoid arthritis but only 5% of children with polyarthritis or antinuclear antibody (ANA) which can increase your risk of uveitis (inflammation of the eye).

Blood tests can also help map disease activity and progression by measuring: Inflammation - (ESR & CRP). Liver function - (LFT’s) monitor for medication side effects. Kidney function - (U & E) measures how well the kidneys are working. Haemoglobin levels for anaemia. A lack of the red blood pigment haemoglobin in the blood means you have anaemia which is a lack of the mineral iron in your blood. Anaemia can lead to fatigue (tiredness), breathlessness, pale pasty skin tone and feeling generally unwell. Most times the anaemia recovers once the inflammation is controlled by medication. Sometimes it needs to be treated by taking iron supplements and making sure that your balanced healthy eating plan is rich in iron. Ask your doctor or nurse to explain what type of anaemia you have so you will know the best way to treat it.

X-rays of the affected joints are usually needed to allow the doctor to look for or assess any joint damage that you may have. Sometimes it is important to remove the fluid from an inflamed joint and inject it with a steroid compound to reduce swelling. This is called aspiration of a joint. Ultrasound scans (similar to scans of babies in pregnant mums) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are other ways to look at your joints. A heart ‘echo’ (ultrasound scan of the heart) to look for inflammation of the covering of the heart (pericarditis) may be necessary if you have systemiconset JIA. SLIT lamp examinations are special eye tests done by an eye doctor (ophthalmologist ) to look for inflammation of the eye (uveitis) that can be found in 10% to 30% of people with JIA. A DXA scan is used to measure the density of bones. It helps to diagnose osteoporosis.