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Health knowledge made personal
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Health knowledge made personal
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 Image foundhere. Every few months, I present my antecubital space (the inside of my elbow) to my local lab personnel. We are on a first name basis these days, since they have been drawing my blood for five years now.How's the kids? Have a nice vacation? How about those Seahawks? John thinks that my familiarity with the lab department is a sad state of affairs, but I say if someone has to be inserting a large-gauge needle into my body, I want that person to be a friend. Within a few days I have my lab results. Early on in my diagnosis, I was a little fuzzy on the specifics of my labwork . After lots of discussions with Dr. S., and a little research on my part, I finally have a basic understanding of some of the measurements that my rheumatologist is looking for. Here's a brief overview of labwork specific to autoimmune disease. Remember that this is a very simplified explanation and any questions that you may have regarding your labs should always be discussed with your doctor. Diagnosis of an autoimmune disease is a complex process, and there is no one lab value that is diagnostic for autoimmune disease. The NIAMS (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Disorders) website explains the diagnostic procedure for Sjogren's Syndromehere: Diagnostic clinical testing such as Shirmer test, slit lamp testing, chest x-ray, urinalysis, and lip biopsies all contribute valuable information in evaluating a potential Sjogren's Syndrome patient. If you want to read more about these clinical tests, you can find more informationhere andhere. A post describing every aspect of diagnosis of autoimmune disease would read likeWar and Peace,so in an effort to keep things simple, I'm just going to address the abnormalities that may present themselves in the blood of a person with Sjogren's Syndrome. Keep in mind that each disease within the autoimmune category has it's own effect on the body, and will impact lab values somewhat differently. When a patient makes their first visit to a doctor to be evaluated for Sjogren's Syndrome or other autoimmune diseases, the doctor will order several tests. Routinetests may include:
Immune systemblood tests may include: Want to learn more about these and other lab tests? You can read about themhere,here, andhere. |
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