Rheumatoid arthritis is a type of autoimmune disease. Autoimmunity means that when there is a disturbance in the immune system of the body, the cells that fight bacteria damage the joints, due to which rheumatism appears. It is also called ‘pain disease’.
Symptoms such as pain or swelling in the joints of the body appear in this. Also back pain, back pain, finger pain or numbness, numbness or tingling in the hands and feet when waking up in the morning, numbness or tingling, back pain or numbness, stiffness in the back in the morning, calf pain or tingling, redness around the big toes and toes. Symptoms such as difficulty walking, heel pain, burning or tingling in the feet, numbness in the hands, feet or legs, numbness or pain in the knee appear.
It gradually affects other organs as well. Therefore, rheumatism is not a single disease but a collection of different types of diseases.
The cause of rheumatism has not yet been discovered. But it is known that rheumatism occurs due to hereditary, bacterial and environmental pollution. Among the various causes of rheumatism, there is a disturbance in the immune system of the body, which is caused by various types of infections in the body. The symptoms of rheumatism vary according to the organs affected by rheumatism. This disease is classified based on the symptoms and what type of antibody is seen in the blood.
There are more than 200 types of arthritis. Some major rheumatic diseases are as follows.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis occurs when joints and bones wear down, especially with age. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage in the joints wears down with age. But from newborns to 80-year-olds can get this disease. This type of arthritis affects the knees, neck, lumbar spine, big toes, fingers and joints. But it does not harm any other parts of the body.
It mainly has pain in knees, neck and lumbar spine, feet of big toes, fingers and toes. Symptoms such as knee, finger, neck and back pain appear while walking. Age, obesity and lack of calcium, vitamin D, thyroid etc. also cause bone erosion.
Gout (uric acid bath)
When the amount of uric acid in the blood increases, gout or uric acid gout occurs. Uric acid is a disordered substance produced in our body. After digestion of protein rich food, uric acid is produced. It usually causes pain around the big toe and joints. When the uric acid accumulates in the joint, it causes extreme pain, swelling, and redness.
When uric acid increases, not everyone has arthritis. As this disease progresses, the joints deteriorate, bend, uric acid clots freeze in places and the kidney deteriorates and kidney stones can also occur.
Rheumatoid arthritis
It is a severe type of arthritis caused by genetics. In such a situation, all the joints of the hands and feet, especially the fingers, wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles, are painful, numb, stiff, and painful. It takes up to an hour for the body to feel sick in the morning and return to a normal or relaxed state. It is a severe rheumatism that appears in adults and older adults and persists for a long time. It is seen more in women than in men. If there is no treatment in time, the joints of the hands and feet may become jammed, bent, unable to move, and may not work.
Back pain
Arthritis of the back which in medical language is called ankylosing spondyloarthritis. In this, symptoms such as pain in the bones between the neck, back, waist, and spine appear. When waking up in the morning, the neck, waist and spine are stiff and unable to move. This problem is seen more in young men between 20 and 40 years. This rheumatism is caused by genetics. It can cause uveitis (eye pain, redness, difficulty seeing in the sun). Due to the gene called HLA B twenty-seven, this disease can also be passed on to children.
Lupus
Lupus is a rheumatic disease that can affect any organ. Therefore, it is also called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This disease is more common in young people and women. It is a long lasting chronic rheumatism. It is more due to the radiation of the sun. In addition to pain, numbness and tingling in the joints and muscles, there are spots on the skin of the face and other parts of the body, sores in the mouth, hair loss, and fever. Severe disease affects important organs like kidneys, heart, lungs, blood and nerves. If the drug treatment is not done in time, the patient may die. There is no definite drug treatment to cure it. However, this condition can be controlled with other medicines.
vasculitis
Arthritis of the blood vessels, which is called vasculitis. In which the blood vessels become swollen, the blood flow is obstructed, due to which there is loss of appetite, fatigue, and fever. If it is not treated in time, it can lead to neurological problems, heart problems and even paralysis. But this happens to very few people.
Scleroderma (thickening of the skin)
In scleroderma, the skin of the hands and face becomes thick, painful, swollen, and the fingers of the hands turn white, blue and red when touching cold water. This rheumatism, which appears with increasing age, is more common in women. Scleroderma affects not only the skin, but also the blood vessels, lungs, and kidneys, causing sores on the fingers, heartburn, asthma, and even kidney failure. It hurts more in the cold.
Juvenile arthritis
Juvenile arthritis means arthritis in children. There are many types of rheumatism in children, which are difficult to distinguish. Therefore, all rheumatic diseases in children are called juvenile arthritis. Juvenile arthritis can cause pain in the joints of children’s hands and feet, hearing loss, inability to move, fever, various rashes on the skin and eye damage. If it is recognized in time and proper medicine is used, the disease cannot increase.
Remedies for rheumatism
So far, no way to prevent rheumatism has been discovered. There is no vaccine or medicine related to it. If any member of the family has rheumatism, other members should be cautious. If rheumatism is diagnosed, it can be controlled.
Something to note
Depending on the complexity of rheumatic disease, when the bones start to wear down, one should not sit on the floor, do not sit cross-legged, and do not walk up and down a lot. The joints should not be subjected to heavy loads and the joints should not be twisted. You should not work too much in the cold, use lukewarm water, and bask in the sun. Because people who lack vitamin D in the body, even if they have normal rheumatism, there is a risk that this disease will become severe soon.
Will it heal completely?
Rheumatoid arthritis is not completely cured. It can be controlled with medicine. Therefore, in the event of symptoms, the doctor should be examined. If the patient is negligent, the problem may increase. Rheumatism increases the risk of other diseases.
Should you cover your mouth if you have rheumatism?
In most cases of rheumatism, it is not necessary to cover the mouth. But in uric acid bath, food should be avoided. Protein rich foods like red meat, legumes, cabbage, cauliflower, cabbage, mushrooms, cold drinks, sour, old pickled rice, junk food, copper, alcohol should be consumed as much as possible. Because uric acid increases the bath.
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