What is Rheumatism?
Rheumatism, also known as rheumatic disease, is a health condition that is characterized by inflammation, redness, swelling, warmth, and pain in the joints. Asides from plunging you into excruciating joint, muscle, and bones pain, it can also cripple your daily activities and reduce the quality of your life. It affects both old and young. According to research, about 7 million people living in the United States of America suffer from this health condition. Studies also showed that 300,000 out of these 7 million people are children.
Rheumatism is an autoimmune disease. A disease that confuses the immune system into attacking healthy cells in the body. It is a health condition that is characterized by pains in the joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and bones. Research has shown that Rheumatism is a condition that is more common in women than in men.
In the United States of America, about 1 out of every 20 men may suffer from Rheumatism, while 1 out of every 12 women may suffer from Rheumatism. Rheumatism is a large umbrella under which other similar health conditions are grouped. According to rheumatologists, there are about 200 rheumatic diseases. However, some selected ones have been identified to be part of the most common ones. The most common rheumatic diseases include;
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Gout
- Lupus
- Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
- Scleroderma
- Infectious arthritis
- Polymyalgia Rheumatica
- Sjogren’s syndrome
- Spondylitis
One common characteristic of these rheumatic diseases is their tendency to affect both sides of the joints. For instance, if you begin to feel symptoms of Rheumatism in the joints of your left hand, you will most likely begin to feel symptoms and even develop full Rheumatism in your right-hand joints.
One of the most reasonable ways of remedying this condition is early detection. Knowing the symptoms of Rheumatism and reporting them early enough help in the immediate treatment and management of the condition. At this crossroads, you may be asking yourself questions like; how then do I identify symptoms of Rheumatism? If you honestly seek an answer to this question, then you are in the right blog. This article will not only help you identify symptoms, but it will also help you understand those factors that may precipitate this health condition, what treatment methods you can adopt, and proper preventive measures against possible lifestyle and feeding habits that might expose you to this condition later in your life.
Symptoms of Rheumatism
The first and most obvious symptom of Rheumatism is inflammation and severe pain in the joints. Some people have declared that the pain comes and goes. The time when these symptoms surface is known as “flares,” while “remission” is the period when the symptoms disappear, to reappear later. Although symptoms of Rheumatism are usually felt in the joints, muscles, and bones. However, it can also be felt in other parts of the body life the eyes, lungs, and heart. This health condition can also damage these organs of the body.
The symptoms of Rheumatism vary from mild to severe. The following are signs and symptoms that indicate that you may be suffering from Rheumatism.
- Inflammed, tender, swollen, and painful joint
- Fatigue
- Low-grade fever
- Aching in more than one joint
- Weakness
- Deformity of the joints
- Similar pain in opposite joints
- Stiffness in several joints of the body
- Loss of appetite
It is best to report these symptoms as soon as you feel them, as this will help control the effects of these symptoms. Even if the symptoms come and go, still report the case to your doctor, as leaving it untreated can lead to complications like poor mobility.
Risk Factors and Causes of Rheumatism
The cause of Rheumatism is still unknown. However, it is believed that it is an autoimmune disease; that is, it occurs when the immune system gets confused and combats healthy cells. However, hereditary plays an important role in causing Rheumatism. When the said immune system starts to malfunction, it compounds the problem by giving way to foreign infections from bacteria and viruses that eventually worsen the condition of its victim. When this happens, inflammation sets in, and if it is left untreated, it can damage the connective tissues and automatically lead to complications. The complications are quite severe. Thus, you are not expected to leave your condition untreated for a long time, such that it becomes so critical and complicated.
Some of the risk factors of Rheumatism or rheumatic diseases include;
Genetics
One of the most common risk factors of Rheumatism is genetics. When genes are compromised with this health condition, members of that particular family may not escape the condition. In other words, when an immediate family member suffers from Rheumatism, you have a chance of suffering the same fate yourself.
Asides from genetics, other risk factors of Rheumatism include;
Sex
Research has shown that more women than men suffer from Rheumatism. According to studies, 1 out of every 20 men in the United States of America has Rheumatism, while 1 out of every 12 women in the United States of America has Rheumatism. Some of the most common rheumatic diseases among women include; Sjogren’s syndrome, lupus, scleroderma, rheumatic arthritis, and Polymyalgia Rheumatica.
While in men, the most common rheumatic diseases include;
Gout and Spondylitis.
As much as some rheumatic diseases are common in women, some are also common in men.
Underlying Health Conditions
Some health conditions have been pinpointed to be triggers of rheumatic diseases, especially gout. When you have underlying health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, kidney diseases, hypothyroidism, and early menopause, you have a higher chance of developing one of the many rheumatic diseases. In addition, developing certain rheumatic diseases like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or scleroderma can automatically increase your chances of developing other rheumatic diseases like vasculitis and Sjogren’s syndrome.
Age
Some health conditions are inevitable as you age. Age alone is a risk factor for many health conditions, ranging from diabetes to high blood pressure, macular degeneration, and many more. However, rheumatic diseases are not left behind.
Some of the rheumatic diseases anyone is likely to develop as they age include polymyalgia, rheumatic and rheumatoid arthritis. Some other ones that can begin to surface during your teenage years or middle age include; lupus, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and scleroderma.
Infections
When you are exposed to infections easily, you may also develop rheumatic diseases. In addition, an infection can worsen your condition and further deteriorate your health. Some of the rheumatic conditions that can be worsened by the body’s exposure to infections include; polymyalgia rheumatic, lupus, and scleroderma.
Complications of Rheumatic Diseases
If left unhandled for a long time, rheumatic diseases can lead to the following;
- Diabetes
- Heart diseases
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- Damage to the cervical spine
- Inflammation of the blood vessels
- Damages to the eyes, lungs, and heart.
You do not want these to happen to you. Hence the need to report your symptoms as early as you can.
Preventing Rheumatic Diseases
Quit smoking
Maintain a good hygiene
Add organic and rich foods to your diets to protect your body from being invaded by infections.
Treatment and Management of Rheumatic Diseases
Although there is no known cure for Rheumatism. However, some treatment measures that can help manage the condition and reduce its symptoms to the barest minimum have been highlighted by experts. Some of the methods used in the treatment of rheumatic diseases include;
- Dietary changes
- Lifestyle changes like withing smoking
- Medications like NSAIDs
- Focused physical exercises can help reduce inflammation around the joints
Home Remedies for Rheumatism
- Apply a cold or warm compress to your joints when you feel they are Inflamed. This process can help reduce inflammation by a lot.
- Get enough rest and try not to injure the joints the more.
- Engage in healthy physical exercises that will focus on your joints and bring relief to them.
- Eat nutrient-rich foods to aid in boosting your immune system to combat infections that may result from the rheumatic disease you are suffering from.
Conclusion
Rheumatism is a severe autoimmune health condition that can worsen rapidly. This is why it should not be treated with levity. Identifying your symptoms are reporting to an expert who will go ahead to diagnose you will help you gain access to immediate medical attention that will stop it from getting worse. Although it cannot be cured, simple changes to lifestyle and feeding habits can help manage the condition.
