There are a number of blood tests that can be useful in confirming the disease in someone with a typical clinical presentation. Other well-defined arthritic conditions include gouty arthritis, caused by the presence of urate crystals in the joints, and the arthritis of acute rheumatic fever. In these conditions, one or several joints will show the signs of redness, swelling, and tenderness that I mentioned as part of the definition of an arthritis. A number of infectious diseases, especially viral ones, may cause temporary arthritis. Hepatitis B and C will occasionally do this, as well as German measles or rubella.
Temporary arthritis is one of the uncommon side effects of rubella vaccination.
The arthritis in these viral illnesses is not usually a major part of the disease, and it is temporary. The joints are left undamaged, as are the joints affected by acute rheumatic fever, so no joint deformities will result. These drugs are also the mainstay of treatment for the various kinds of arthritis. But there are several other treatments that may be effective in these cases, so each case be individually evaluated by the doctor. The fact that you have morning pain, as well as pain in the small joints of the hands may be a clue that a real arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, is present.