When should a patient consult a Rheumatologist?
If the patient is suffering from any of the below symptoms, he might be having Rheumatic Diseases.
• Joint pains and swellings
• Severe joint pains and stiffness in the morning
• Severe back pain and stiffness in the morning
• Unexplained generalized body pains
• Recurrent mouth ulcers/hair loss
• Dryness of mouth/eyes,red rashes on cheeks
• Recurrent heel pains
• Prolonged unexplained fevers after detailed work up by physicians
• Wounds on skin not healing over a period of time referred by a surgeon and physician,Persistent problems regarding abortions referred after primary work up by a gynaecologist,Recurrent uvietis after primary work up by an ophthalmologist,Unexplained pulmonary renal syndromes at primary care level.

It is important to see a Rheumatologist, who has the training and experience to diagnose various forms of inflammatory arthritis
• when the initial diagnosis is in doubt
• to pick up and manage extraarticular manifestations like vasculitis, eye involvement, pleuropulmonary involvement, lymphadenopathy etc in rhematoid arthritis
• arthritis not controlled by traditional DMARDS
• connective tissue disorders like SLE, sjogrens syndrome, systemic sclerosis, mixed and undifferentiated connective tissue disorders etc
• Vasculitidis and other rare autoimmune diseases.