What tests should be done if ankylosing spondylitis is suspected

Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that mainly affects the spine and sacroiliac joints. There are many patients suffering from ankylosing spondylitis in life, because this disease is not only difficult to treat, but also has a high disability rate, which has a great impact on the patient's life. If you suspect ankylosing spondylitis, what tests should you do? Let's take a look.

First, physical examination: Ankylosing spondylitis will have obvious symptoms in the early stage, such as stiffness in the waist, especially in the morning. As the disease worsens, pain will also occur, mainly in the waist, buttocks, and groin. You can also perform a scoliosis test, take an upright position, bend the spine, and then measure the distance from the upright position to the middle fingertip vertically descending from the ground.

Second, laboratory tests: After ankylosing spondylitis occurs, laboratory tests will reveal an increase in erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein. If the HLA-B27 test result is positive, the patient can basically be diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis. Liver function, kidney function and bone metabolism indicators can also be tested, which is of great significance for the evaluation of the disease.

Third, imaging examination: Imaging examination requires many items, such as X-ray examination, CT examination and MRI examination. X-ray examination is the main method for diagnosing ankylosing spondylitis. CT examination can better detect lesions of the sacroiliac joint.

If you suspect you have ankylosing spondylitis, you can go to the hospital for the above tests. Although ankylosing spondylitis does not lead to death, its disability rate is very high. Once the patient is diagnosed, he or she should cooperate with the doctor in time for treatment. Common treatment methods are medication, surgery, and biological therapy. During the treatment process, correct bad living habits and eating habits, such as paying more attention to rest, avoiding smoking and drinking, and not eating spicy and irritating foods.