Lupus medical testing and a blood test
can be done by the patient’s physician or a specialist
such as a rheumatologist or clinical immunologist. When
a patient has many of the classic lupus signs and
symptoms, it is much easier to make a diagnosis than
when the symptoms are subtle and imitate other common
illnesses.
Lupus medical testing consists of
checking for symptoms, getting a physical exam along
with a complete medical history and a blood test for ANA
(antinuclear antibody). Once this lupus medical testing
and a blood test are done, if the patient both tests
positive for ANA and experiences symptoms of Lupus, a
diagnosis can be made. However, some physicians will
want to do further lupus medical testing to reinforce
the diagnosis.
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In lupus medical testing, a blood test is
used to look for antibodies to various substances that a
person produces when she suffers from Lupus. This lupus
blood test is helpful to either reinforce a diagnosis
when the patient has symptoms and a positive ANA blood
test or when a patient has a negative ANA blood test but
the doctor suspects lupus.
Other lupus medical testing involves a
blood test to determine a complete blood count (CBC).
This blood test is useful in finding out how healthy a
person is. A CBC blood test is also helpful in finding
infections, finding out why a person experiences
symptoms, and finding out how a patient responds to
medication.
The complement test, a blood test that
looks for low levels of complements, shows that the body
is either busy fighting infections or destroying its own
tissues. This blood test is useful in lupus medical
testing because Lupus is an autoimmune disease which is
a disease that causes the body to attack itself.
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Erythrocyte sedimentation rate is a blood
test that is useful in lupus medical testing because it
shows conditions that cause inflammation. This blood
test is also used in determining the effectiveness of
certain medications used for the treatment of lupus. A
fourth blood test that is used in lupus medical testing
is C-reactive protein test (CRP). The CRP blood test is
useful in lupus medical testing because CRP levels go
down after the use of medications to treat Lupus and
helps the physician watch conditions that cause
inflammation.
Other lupus medical testing consists of
urinalysis, Kidney biopsy, skin biopsy, CT scan,
MRI and x-rays.
In lupus medical testing, the blood test
and other lupus medical tests are compared to symptoms
and the results are interpreted by the physician. Lupus
medical testing may have to be repeated several times
because a person with lupus may test negative one day
and positive the next. This will show the activity level
of the disease. Unfortunately, there is no single test
for lupus. If you suspect lupus, it is important to keep
tract of symptoms, work closely with your doctor, and
take the necessary tests.
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