I wrote my last post because my dear friend Emoş asked me to. This time I’m writing this post because my beautiful daughter Çiğdem asked me to; of course, her wish is my command.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a type of arthritis that is often categorized as a form of rheumatism. Rheumatism is a term that was used in the past to describe a variety of conditions that have similar symptoms. Today, doctors arrive at more specific diagnoses of the rheumatic diseases and do not use the term rheumatism as a diagnosis, but rather as a description of a group of similar conditions.
What is Rheumatism?
Rheumatic conditions cause inflammation in the muscles and joints and can potentially lead to cartilage and bone damage. Rheumatism is a general term that describes these conditions.
The result is often chronic pain, swelling, and soreness in the joints and surrounding areas. Symptoms of rheumatism can sometimes make it difficult to perform daily activities. Many patients find that mobility, dexterity, and range of motion decreases with symptoms of rheumatism.
In most cases, treatment options help patients with rheumatic conditions continue to live full and happy lives while reducing pain and managing symptoms.
Rheumatic Symptoms
Under the broad category of rheumatism, there are several fundamental symptoms common among all conditions. These specific symptoms include:
Localized pain, for example in hands, fingers, shoulders, or knees
Stiffness, swelling and tenderness in joints and muscles
Redness and warmth in joints and muscles
Reduced mobility and range of motion in specific joints and muscles
Many patients who have been diagnosed with rheumatic disease complain of other symptoms not directly related to joint inflammation such as:
Low grade fever
Chronic fatigue
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
Depression
Malaise or generally feeling unwell
Rheumatic disease symptoms may worsen in response to changes in the weather, especially during periods of increased humidity.
Many patients also notice that their symptoms may improve with regular and moderate exercise. However, vigorous exercise has the potential to activate previous dormant disease and worsen symptoms.
Types of Rheumatic Diseases
There are over 100 unique types of rheumatic diseases each with varying symptoms, disease courses, and treatment options. In general, all rheumatic conditions affect the musculoskeletal system which includes muscles, bones, joints, tendons, and ligaments. Most rheumatic diseases are chronic and generally persist throughout the rest of patients’ lives.
Some types of rheumatic diseases can go on to affect the organs and cause other conditions. Many patients can suffer from several forms of rheumatic conditions at once.
Here are some of the most common conditions under the broad name of “rheumatism”:
Rheumatoid arthritis
Osteoarthritis
Rheumatic fever
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatic heart disease
Gout
Ankylosing spondylia
Fibromyalgia
Lupus
These and other types of rheumatic diseases have their own possible causes and risk factors. Different segments of the population are also at greater risk of developing certain rheumatic conditions.
Who develops Rheumatism
It is estimated that approximately 50 million Americans suffer from some form of rheumatic disease. Rheumatism affects patients from all ethnic backgrounds, gender, and age. Women are more commonly affected than men in many rheumatic diseases, which leads doctors to believe there may be hormonal risk factors associated with rheumatic diseases. This may apply to rheumatoid arthritis.
Many rheumatic conditions are more common in patients’ around middle age. The onset of rheumatoid arthritis has been seen in adult female patients as young as 30. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis has been reported in children as young as 2 years old.
Diagnosing Rheumatism
Because the symptoms of rheumatism can be non-specific, it is sometimes difficult to diagnose. There is a lot of crossovers between different rheumatic diseases. To narrow the list of doctors must perform thorough physical examinations and ask their patients specific questions about symptoms.
Doctors also look at medical history to find any potential genetic link to rheumatic symptoms. If doctors suspect a rheumatic condition as the cause of a patient’s symptoms, they may refer the patient to a rheumatologist for further examination and diagnosis.
Causes of Rheumatism
Rheumatism is caused by several different factors and depends on the type of rheumatic disease in question. Some rheumatic diseases develop because of wear and tear of joints that comes with age or repetitive use of joints.
In other cases, rheumatism is the result of an autoimmune condition that triggers the body to respond with inflammatory symptoms. Genetics and environmental factors are thought to be the common triggers in some rheumatic diseases.
Risk Factors for Rheumatism
There are several risk factors associated with rheumatism and its many different types. Some of the most important risk factors include:
Smoking
Obesity
Poor diet
Lack of regular exercise
Genetics
Occupations with repetitive motions
Sports injuries
Old age
Treatments for Rheumatism
Even though rheumatic conditions come in different shapes and symptoms, have different triggers, and are worsened by lifestyle and environmental factors, they all benefit from early diagnoses and treatment.
Rheumatism is diagnosed and treated by specialists known as rheumatologists. These specialists see patients of all ages, and prescribe treatment based on everyone’s unique set of characteristics.
Treatment options for rheumatic diseases include over-the-counter nonsteroidal ant-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, and naproxen, which reduce inflammation and relieve pain. They may also prescribe steroidal medications if symptoms are severe or persist after trying the medications listed above.
Given the possibility of autoimmune disease, I suggest you read my post on this AND TRY THE COMPLETE ELİMINATION DIET.
Patients with rheumatic disease are encouraged to continue with regular and moderate exercise to maintain good range of motion and mobility. A healthy diet is also recommended.
Lastly, look at the risk factors listed above and try to eliminate them.
A Couple of Suggestions
As I mentioned above, if there is a chance that the problem has an autoimmune probability, you should try the “Complete Elimination Diet”. I wrote about it on July 19, 2018; “Two Requests”.
The second suggestion is covered in my post “Baking Soda May be Just What The Doctor Ordered for Rheumatoid Arthritis”, dated November 16, 2018.
That’s it for now my friends; see you all the next time.
