Polymyalgia Rheumatica, Symptoms and Treatment
C-reactive protein (CRP) is a blood test marker that your doctor might test for if he or she suspects that you have an inflammation or a chronic inflammatory disease, such as polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). Learn what the CRP test is and what its results could mean to you as a polymyalgia sufferer.
Stress is a way that our body responds to any kind of threat or demand. Learn how stress can trigger PMR and what you can do to reduce frequent stress.
The results of complete blood count or CBC help a rheumatologist to detect polymyalgia rheumatica. Symptoms of PMR, such as fatigue and anemia, are revealed in CBC.
Polymyalgia is not easily diagnosed. Learn how a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test can confirm whether or not you have polymyalgia and if there is inflammation in your joints and tissues.
Diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is accurately done by a rheumatologist. Physical examination, ESR and CRP tests, CBC, ultrasound, and biopsy help confirm PMR.
Swollen hands are one of the symptoms that typically appear in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica. PMR patients develop fluid retention or swelling, not only of the hands but also of the ankles, wrists, and feet.
Doctors can perform two blood tests to confirm if a patient has PMR: the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) test and the C-reactive protein (CRP) test. Learn more about these two PMR tests.
Most autoimmune disorders, especially polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), are characterized by swelling or inflammation of blood vessels. Learn how to tell if the symptoms you are experiencing are signs of PMR.