10 Facts About Reiter's Syndrome

3. Reiter's Syndrome is Hard to Diagnose

There is no simple blood test to confirm Reiter's syndrome, making it hard to diagnose. Additionally, affected individuals often don't connect their symptoms, so when they see a doctor about back pain, they fail to mention conjunctivitis or the infection they recently had, which makes it difficult to see the connection. To reach a diagnosis, a doctor will first rule out other causes of arthritis. They may perform blood tests looking for signs of the infections that commonly cause Reiter's syndrome, and ask for a medical history to identify flulike symptoms from the initial infection.

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