Pinpointing exactly which type of arthritis you are suffering from can be simple for doctors, as each of the 100 plus forms of the condition can have different causes, different symptoms and affect different parts of the body.
Although common to all forms is joint pain and damage to the connective tissues around the joints, the unique signs of the different kinds of arthritis can lead doctors to a quick diagnosis followed by a timely prescription of medication and other treatment.
But there is one form of arthritis that can make diagnosis a lot more difficult.
Seronegative arthritis is a collection of different forms of arthritis which have symptoms similar to those experienced by people with rheumatoid arthritis.
This often leads to misdiagnosis, but if you look closely there are distinct differences between the two.
The main difference is that rheumatoid arthritis sufferers have an autoantibody which causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue. This autoantibody is not present in people with seronegative arthritis. This fact and a review of the symptoms can rule out rheumatoid arthritis.
As with rheumatoid arthritis, seronegative arthritis attacks different organs of the body as well as the joints – one of the reasons the two conditions can be confused.
There are different types of seronegative arthritis including psoriatic arthritis, Reiter’s syndrome and ankylosing spondylitis.
Psoriatic arthritis is a result of the skin condition psoriasis, while Reiter’s syndrome is caused by a bacterial infection.
Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of seronegative arthritis that affects the spine, usually in males aged 20 to 40. It causes chronic pain the lower spine.
Keeping a note of the type of pain you experience and when this occurs will help your doctor narrow down their diagnosis.
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