A rheumatologist explains why he wants to obtain this information from patients.
A rheumatologist will Ask about your family history during your appointment. And knowing what to say is more important than you think.
To begin with, why would you go to a rheumatologist in the first place? That’s a good question and it Dr. Richard Furie, MDdivision head of rheumatology at Northwell Health, had to answer for her own mother.
“As far as training goes, a rheumatologist is a specialist in internal medicine,” Dr. Furie told him and Parade. “After three years of training, we choose a specialty. »
Instead of cardiology or pulmonology, future rheumatologists complete a two- to three-year fellowship in rheumatology. There, they learn about inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus and Sjögren’s syndrome. Dr. Furie points out that the Arthritis Foundation reports about 100 types of arthritis and related conditions, which can damage joints and other organs.
“You might want to see a rheumatologist if you suspect an inflammatory disease,” he adds. “The way someone self-diagnoses is a little difficult. We see patients who come on their own. We see patients who come from their family doctor and we see patients who are referred to us by subspecialists.”
When you go to see a rheumatologist, you will have an “old-fashioned experience.”
“We’re not as procedure-oriented,” says Dr. Furie. “Our skills are based on listening to the patient, examining the patient, ordering the appropriate laboratory tests and interpreting them appropriately. We talk and hopefully listen – something that I think is becoming a lost art.”
One thing they want to hear is family history. And there’s one specific thing Dr. Furie says many people forget to mention about their family history to their rheumatologist and why he wishes they wouldn’t.
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“What I wish more patients would tell me about their family history”
Dr. Furie says many people forget to tell a rheumatologist about their family history of related non-rheumatoid, autoimmune or inflammatory diseases. However, rheumatologists treat much more than rheumatoid arthritis.
“The current thinking about rheumatic diseases is that most of the rheumatic diseases we see are autoimmune,” says Dr. Furie. “An autoimmune disease is when the immune system goes a little haywire and, for unknown reasons, starts attacking the body.”Dr. Furie adds that genes are involved in many of these diseases, so genetics may increase the likelihood that you will develop a related non-rheumatoid, autoimmune, or inflammatory disease that a rheumatologist could help you manage, such as:
Sjögren’s disease (the immune system attacks the glands around the eyes and mouth, causing dryness)
Systemic lupus (manifestations include arthritis, rashes, and, more seriously, kidney disease)
Inflammatory muscle disease
Vasculitis (blood vessels become inflamed)
Inflammatory bowel disease
Autoimmune thyroid disease
“I could go on and on naming, you know, up to about 100 different conditions,” Dr. Furie says. “It’s not uncommon to hear that your patient’s sibling has another autoimmune disease.”
Related: “I am a rheumatologist: these are the symptoms I ask for before suspecting an autoimmune disease”
What is the importance of family history in rheumatology?
Dr. Furie says genetics can contribute to your risk of developing conditions that rheumatologists help treat, like lupus or the joint inflammation that can accompany inflammatory bowel disease. Still, he says they will record the history, but they will not diagnose you based on it.
“If you have a family history of a disease, we will record it, do a physical and check labs, but it will not change how we interact with you,” says Dr. Furie.
Genes can and do play a role, but many rheumatoid and non-rheumatoid autoimmune or inflammatory diseases require another trigger. “We have been looking for the viral cause of lupus for decades,” he adds.
Still, he says it’s important to talk to your rheumatologist. It can provide context for symptoms and blood tests that indicate associated non-rheumatoid, autoimmune, or inflammatory diseases.
Related: “I’m a rheumatologist and this is the little-known arthritis tip I swear by”
What else to mention to a rheumatologist
Mentioning a family history of associated non-rheumatoid, autoimmune, or inflammatory diseases during your first appointment with a rheumatologist is solid information. But that’s not all your new rheumatologist wants to know about you, including your symptoms from start to finish.
“Often patients start at the end, but we want to go back to when their symptoms started,” says Dr. Furie. “We need them to describe their symptoms in great detail. »
He also wants to know what medications you have tried and what other doctors you have seen for these symptoms.For example, you may have tried a lupus skin cream that a provider might have initially thought was lupus.
In other words, your rheumatologist wants to get the most complete history possible.
“When you’re a medical student, you want to move on and do the lab tests, but“A lot of the answers come from history,” Dr. Furie says, clarifying that it’s more than just family history. “Then, of course, we do a physical exam, and then we do relevant lab tests.”
Your rheumatologist will follow up with you in a week or two to review the lab results and you can both help each other feel better from there.
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Related: “I’m a Rheumatologist and This is the #1 Habit to Break ASAP if You Suffer from Inflammation”
Sources:
This story was originally published by Parade on October 11, 2026, where he first appeared in the Health and wellness section. Add a parade as Favorite source by clicking here.
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