Rheumatism
What is rheumatism?
Rheumatism refers to various painful medical conditions which affect joints, bones, cartilage, tendons, ligaments and muscles.
What are rheumatic disorders?
Rheumatic diseases, also called musculoskeletal diseases, are characterized by pain and a consequent reduction in the range of motion and function in one or more areas of the musculoskeletal system. Some diseases present signs of inflammation: swelling, redness, warmth in the affected areas. Rheumatic diseases can also affect internal organs.
The word arthritis is sometimes used to refer to all rheumatic diseases. Arthritis literally means joint inflammation. It is just part of the rheumatic diseases. Arthritis involves joint pain, joint stiffness, joint inflammation and joint damage.
Rheumatic disease is not a single disorder.
Rheumatic diseases encompass more than 200 different diseases which span from various types of arthritis to osteoporosis and on to systemic connective tissue diseases.
Who can be affected by rheumatic diseases?
Rheumatic diseases affect all ages and both sexes, although women are more frequently affected than men.
Some factors can increase the risk of developing rheumatic disease.
- Smoking
- Excessive weight
- Genetic factors
- Certain occupations which lead to injury and overuse of joints
- Increasing age
There are different symptoms to rheumatic diseases.
A rheumatic disease may be suspected if the patient presents certain signs and symptoms such as the following:
- Persistent joint pain
- Tenderness
- Inflammation indicated by joint swelling, stiffness, redness, and/or warmth
- Joint deformity
- Loss of range of motion or flexibility in a joint
- Extreme fatigue, lack of energy, weakness, or a feeling of malaise.
Rheumatic diseases have significant impact on quality of life.
If rheumatic diseases are not treated appropriately, daily activities such as walking, climbing stairs, cooking, and personal hygiene are affected. Rheumatic diseases can also have a profound effect on work capacity.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
What is rheumatoid arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease. An autoimmune disease is a condition in which the immune system attacks healthy cells in the body by mistake, causing inflammation in affected areas.
RA mainly attacks the joints, usually many joints at once. RA commonly affects joints in the hands, wrists, and knees. In a joint with RA, the lining of the joint becomes inflamed, causing damage to joint tissue. This tissue damage can cause long-lasting or chronic pain, unsteadiness and deformity.
RA can also affect other tissues throughout the body and cause problems in organs such as the lungs, heart and eyes.
What are the signs and symptoms of RA?
With RA, there are times when symptoms exacerbate, known as flares, and times when symptoms diminish, known as remission.
Signs and symptoms of RA include:
- Pain or aching in more than one joint
- Stiffness in more than one joint
- Tenderness and swelling in more than one joint
- The same symptoms on both sides of the body (such as in both hands or both knees)
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Weakness
What causes RA?
RA is the result of an immune response in which the body’s immune system attacks its own healthy cells. The specific causes of RA are unknown, but some factors can increase the risk of developing the disease.
What are the risk factors for RA?
Researchers have studied a number of genetic and environmental factors to determine if they change person’s risk of developing RA.
Characteristics that increase risk:
- Age: RA can begin at any age, but the likelihood increases with age. The onset of RA is highest among adults in their sixties.
- Sex: New cases of RA are typically two-to-three times higher in women than men.
- Genetics/inherited traits
- Smoking: Multiple studies show that cigarette smoking increases a person’s risk of developing RA and can make the disease worse.
- History of live births: Women who have never given birth may be at greater risk of developing RA.
- Obesity. Being obese can increase the risk of developing RA. Studies examining the role of obesity also found that the more overweight a person was, the higher his or her risk of developing RA became.
Characteristics that can decrease risk:
- Breastfeeding: Women who have breastfed their infants have a decreased risk of developing RA.
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA)
What is psoriatic arthritis (PsA)?
Some people with psoriasis can develop psoriatic arthritis, manifested by painful, stiff and swollen joints. Like psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis symptoms flare and subside, vary from person to person and even change locations in the same person over time.
What are the signs and symptoms of PsA?
Like psoriasis, PsA is a chronic condition that can get progressively worse. Patients may experience periods when their symptoms improve or go into remission alternating with times when symptoms become worse.
The signs and symptoms of PsA often resemble those of rheumatoid arthritis. Both diseases cause joints to become painful, swollen and warm to the touch.
PsA is more likely to cause:
- Swollen fingers and toes
- Foot pain
- Lower back pain
What causes PsA?
Psoriatic arthritis occurs when the body's immune system begins to attack healthy cells and tissue. The abnormal immune response causes inflammation in the joints as well as overproduction of skin cells.
It's not entirely clear why the immune system attacks healthy tissue, but it seems likely that both genetic and environmental factors play a role. Many people with psoriatic arthritis have a family history of either psoriasis or PsA.
What are the risk factors for PsA?
Several factors can increase the risk of psoriatic arthritis, including:
- Psoriasis
- Family history
- Age: Although anyone can develop PsA, it occurs most often in adults between the ages of 30 and 50.
How is PsA treated?
Treatment of PsA varies depending on the level pain, swelling and stiffness. Patients may be prescribed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.
