Rheumatism, Rheumatology, Rheumatic Diseases

• Diseases that cause pain and limitation of movement, and sometimes swelling and deformity in the muscles, bones, joints and ligaments that connect these structures that enable our body to move, are generally called rheumatism.

 

• Rheumatism is not a single disease. Nearly 200 diseases fall into this class. Joint rheumatisms (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis), soft tissue rheumatisms (fibromyalgia, neck pain, low back pain) and osteoporosis are the most common among them. >

 

• Rheumatic diseases are generally more common in women and their frequency increases with age. However, there are also diseases that are more common in men (gout, ankylosing spondylitis) or are seen primarily in young people (example: systemic lupus erythematosus). Rheumatic diseases can also be seen in childhood.

 

• The exact cause of a significant portion of rheumatic diseases is unknown. It is mostly non-infectious-microbial. Hereditary characteristics (genetic predisposition) are important in some people. Preventing external factors such as obesity, which increases the load on the joints, or smoking, which damages the vascular structure, is also beneficial for patients with rheumatism.

• Some inflammatory rheumatic diseases affect the skin (redness) in addition to the musculoskeletal system. , rash), can affect our internal organs (lung, kidney, brain, etc.)

 

• All In order to provide the most appropriate treatment for rheumatic diseases as well as health problems, it is necessary to make a correct diagnosis of the disease at the first stage. It may be difficult to diagnose rheumatic diseases, especially in the early stages, and the patient may need to be examined and monitored by a specialist for a while. Symptoms of rheumatic diseases may change over time.

 

• A personal treatment plan must be made for each patient with rheumatic disease. Medications or treatment interventions that are beneficial for another patient may not be suitable for you. Do not use treatments not recommended by your doctor. It may be useless and dangerous for you; Appropriate treatment may be delayed.

 

• In some rheumatic diseases, the disease may continue for a very long time. These diseases are called chronic diseases. In this case, do not forget that the treatment will take a long time and the medications given must be taken constantly under the supervision of a physician. Even if the treatments do not completely eliminate the disease, they aim to ensure that your daily life is painless and comfortable.

 

• Joint is the name given to the areas where our bones meet, most of which are movable. Some of our joints are very mobile (e.g. elbow, knee, finger, ankle joints); Some of our joints only enable the bones to come together (joints in our skull). There are joints in our spine that allow us to move our neck and waist. Cartilage tissue in the joints prevents the bones from rubbing against each other.

 

• If your doctor states that your diagnosis is arthritis, he has concluded that there is inflammation in your joint or joints. Arthritis is primarily a disease of mobile joints. The most important symptoms of arthritis are pain, swelling, redness, warmth and inability to make normal movements of the joint. Pain may occur with movement of the joint, at rest, and sometimes at night. Stiffness (difficulty in joint movements) is more evident in the patient's joint area, especially in the morning and after rest. In these diseases, not only the joints but also the muscles, soft tissues and ligaments around the joint can be affected.

 

• Long-lasting arthritis can cause deformity in the joints and the joint's inability to move at all. .

 

• Weakness and fatigue often accompany other symptoms in patients with arthritis.

 

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Osteoarthritis (arthrosis), also known as calcification among the public, is the most common joint disease, which progresses with the deterioration (degeneration) of the structure of the joints, especially the cartilage. It mostly affects the knee and hip joints, although it is rare to affect multiple joints. It is usually seen after the age of fifty. In this disease, pain usually occurs after movement and is absent in the morning.

 

• Rheumatoid arthritis, in which the inflammation of the membrane (synovia) in the joints and then the joint is at the forefront, is a common, chronic disease that can lead to the destruction of the joints over the years. It is a disease. Inflammation occurs in many joints. It is a disease that affects the whole body (systemic) and can also affect internal organs. It needs to be diagnosed early and treated with medications for a long time.

 

• The chronic rheumatic disease affecting the spine and pelvis joints is called ankylosing spondylitis. It is more common in young men. Failure to treat may lead to restriction of spinal movements.

 

• Having information about rheumatism patients' diseases and the medications they use will have a positive impact on their lives. You need to have information about the drugs to be used and their side effects.

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