Does anyone know how to tell which arthritis you have.

its the inflammation that says its likely to be RA. OA is wear and tear.
www.arthritis.com/about-arthritis/rheumatoid-arthritis-vs-osteoarthritis

My youngest DD also has a problem with OA, very bad hands, 1 knee partially replaced recently and the other one to be done later in the year, she had more than one blood test and an MRI scan and it was confirmed that although her markers were high she has Osteo Arthritis and not RA.
I’m sure that another poster will be able to tell you far more about this than I can with my restricted know ledge based on my DD.
But I know that apart from some fairly heavy duty painkillers there is no treatment available for my DDs hands, sadly.

Could be RA do you feel extra tired?. RA is linked to the immune system, I have R A and it caused osteo in my knees so both replaced and it affected my ankle which is now fused Im bionic now. I think the Doctor should have told you if you have got it, I would phone again you might need to see a RA consultant.

When I was a BenefitsAdvisor some years ago. I could tell osteo arthritis from rheumatoid arthritis just by looking at my client's hands.

It is difficult to explain, especially as it was some years ago - and some one with RA will no doubt correct me - but I seem to remember that the hands turned inwards towards each other and the thumb seemed to turn under. I would still recognise it if I saw it and other people I worked with said they too recohised RA by lookinng at the hands.

I have osteoarthritis had new hip ten years ago. I was told I need a new knew I won't though I do not take any pain relief well at all. I have terrible arthritic hands and had a few ops and treatments etc. I also have Dupuytren's syndrome my right hand is nearly useless now. Once arthritis grips you there is no escape.

I have had severe RA for over thirty years. There is no definitive test for it. RA consultants gather all the information, bloods, scans, xrays, family history and physical examinations. You cannot self diagnose it. No two patients are the same. Initially I tested sero negative, so it was even harder to diagnose and being on long term steroids, delayed the diagnosis even longer.
None of us posting on here are experts, we can only speak from our own experience. You really need to speak to your GP and take it from there.

Monica looking at me, you would never know I had RA. I have little visible signs, but boy do I have the pain and chronic fatigue which goes with it.

travelsafar, please get back to your GP and ask for an appointment, phone, zoom or in person, with the GP or nurse. Say you need to have the findings of the blood test explained to you.
There is an inflammatory element to osteo-arthritis, and whilst there are some typical markers for rheumatoid, you certainly can't diagnose either by looking (I am sure Monica just meant her post to be of interest). Marydoll is right - anything said here is kindly meant, but of limited value.

Travelsafar, you wouldn't have posted if you weren't worried and that won't be helping. I know you have a had a terrible year, so please contact your surgery ASAP. People kindly offer advice, but they dont know your medical history. Anyone with lung disease (me) can't take Ibruprofen and most of the RA medication is also a no no for me. That's why you need to see a doctor.

There are other reasons for raised inflammatory markers. When I was diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica, mine were sky high. So you do need to ask your GP for an explanation and, if necessary, further tests.

Marydoll I was visiting people severely affected by arthritis to complete Attendance Allowance forms. When people are severely disabled the different forms of arthritis are distinctively different. This is why I knew anyone with RA would be able to give more information about the stages I am unfamiliar with.

I understand what you are saying Monica and in no way am I criticing your post. However, I would hope an assessment wouldn't be based on that alone. If physical appearance was the only criterion, applicants like me, would get nothing.
I am so severely affected by RA that I am now on medication costing £1000 a month, yet to look at me, you would think I was pretty fit and have absolutely nothing wrong with me. Much of RA is hidden. (for example my heart is failing due to it) I also have osteoarthritis, one wouldn't be aware of either, but I can hardly use my hands or walk any distance.

That's why the best advice for travalsafar is to contact her GP, no matter how difficult it is and try and set things in motion. Waiting lists are huge now. My three monthly RA hospital appointments have become more than a year long wait and that is only for a telephone consultation.

Heberden's nodes, are the nodes on joints of the fingers. The joints of all my fingers were swollen and painful, until the arthritic changes settled down. They are no longer painful, but remain enlarged. It is osteoarthritis.
See my index finger.

Marydoll AA is based on how much your life is physically limited: not able to get out of bed, bath, dress etc, or it was when I did it, not on what or how many illnesses you have.

I had clients who had no medical condition other than high blood pressure, but got AA because extreme old age meant they were very frail and could do little for themselves without help. Others with more complex problems, would not get it because the degree of physical or mental disability was not sufficient to qualify.

Thanks for the explanation, Monica, I'm pretty au fait with the hoops you have to metaphorically jump through, just in case you think I haven't understood. .

Marydoll I have no doubts that you fully understand, you are the person with the illness, but often in a wider audience people are not always aware that it is the disabilty that counts not the cause. At least it was when I did it

Monica, I think that nowadays, there is more information available, being able to research on the internet, does help inform people.

I remember when unwell myself, caring for my mother, raising my children, studying and working, all got to much for me, I contacted Social Services for help.
We had absolutely no idea, my mother was entitled to so many benefits, which she should have been having for years and would have made life so much easier for her.
Nowadays, people are better informed , but I'm sure many still slip through the net.

I have nothing but praise for the people I have dealt with, since having to stop working. Their job is not easy and I am sure some clients are not as appreciative as I am.

Like most threads, this one has gone off at a tangent. I just hope travelsafar gets the help and support she needs. ?

I think a blood test is needed.

I did find a small study some rheumatologists have done that suggests having had Covid doesn't make you more likely to develop RA, but it's far from conclusive. But as to what you really want to know, if it's RA or OA in your hands, you would need to speak to your GP. It's important for you to know, don't be worried about asking them if it might be RA. Sorry you're getting these problems,and after going through Covid too.

I have a telephone consultation booked with my gp for the 23rd of this month. I am going to write some notes so I don't forget to ask her about everything which is worrying me. Thank you for all your comments, can always rely on GN for support and advice.

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travelsafar

I have a telephone consultation booked with my gp for the 23rd of this month. I am going to write some notes so I don't forget to ask her about everything which is worrying me. Thank you for all your comments, can always rely on GN for support and advice.

I'm glad you have an appointment now travelsafar.
Our GPs will see someone face to face too if necessary so I hope you can be seen if you are still concerned.

Yes - write it all down, it's easy to forget something!

Calli travels appointment was in July 21.
I wonder how she got on?