The eight most common rheumatic diseases

Osteoarthritis is a consequence of the wear and tear of the cartilage that covers the surfaces of the bones that make up the joints. If we do not respect our joints, the cartilage becomes rough with age and has an uneven surface. After a few years, it may disappear completely and then the bone rubs against the bone. Excessive overloading of the joints (e.g. carrying heavy nets) accelerates this process. The disease is favored by abnormal joint structure, genetic factors, past injuries and some diseases, such as diabetes. Its development is accelerated by obesity, heavy lifting and vibrations. The most troublesome symptom of the disease is dull pain that increases after prolonged standing and walking. In the morning, however, because of the so-called morning stiffness of the joints, patients need about half an hour to “move in”. Treatment of the degenerative disease must be tailored – individually for each patient. The medications taken by the patient are to fulfill two tasks – to reduce or eliminate pain and stop the changes

In the past they were called chronic progressive rheumatism, which well reflects the essence of the disease. It affects the entire skeletal system, lasts throughout life and gradually covers the entire body. RA can take many forms and develops at a different pace for everyone. It usually attacks the small joints of the hands and feet first. Less often shoulders, elbows, hips or knees, and even more rarely the temporomandibular joints. To understand its essence – a few words about joints. The joints of the bones that make up the joint are surrounded by a fibrous capsule. From the inside, it is sent through the synovium, which produces a fluid that reduces the friction that arises during movement. RA occurs when the synovium becomes inflamed. It begins to produce too much fluid that cannot fit in the joint capsule. Increasing pressure on it manifests itself in pain and reduced mobility of the joint. The cells of the synovial membrane multiply and form an additional layer (the so-called pannus). Like cancer, it slowly covers the cartilage and bones of the joint and destroys them. This causes the joint to become immobilized gradually. The causes of RA are not fully understood, but it is considered an autoimmune disease. Treatment is always selected individually, because no two cases of the disease are identical. However, there is a rule – treatment must be comprehensive, that is, include taking appropriate medications and rehabilitation. Drugs used in the treatment of rheumatism have two tasks – to relieve pain and eliminate inflammation to slow down the development of the disease.

The first sign of the disease is pain and morning stiffness in the lower back. As the disease progresses, it spreads to higher and higher parts of the spine, up to the neck. The vertebrae begin to heal and the ligaments harden. Doctors often compare the patient’s spine to a bamboo stick permanently changed into a rigid bow. ZZSK mainly attacks young men between the ages of 20 and 40. The tendency to develop it is hereditary. The mainstay of treatment is pain relief and keeping the disease from progressing. Physiotherapy treatments can slow the rate of illness and keep the spine flexible for as long as possible.

Gout is the result of an abnormal metabolism that causes the body to build up excess uric acid. The resulting inflammation causes the pain. Usually the big toe joint or the elbow joint are affected. Pain, especially at the beginning of the disease, is paroxysmal and acute.

It is sometimes also called the overload syndrome. It causes recurrent pain in the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand and knee. This type of disease is most often caused by constant overload or microtrauma. This form of rheumatism develops over many years without any symptoms. When individual tissue lesions overlap (add up), inflammation develops, usually where the muscle grows into the bone. A little later, tissue fibrosis occurs. The disease mainly affects women over 40 who work physically or practice strength sports. Soft tissue inflammation heals slowly, and the only way to combat it is to avoid it and use anti-inflammatory drugs. Sore spots can be smeared with painkillers.

General fatigue may occur in the course of fibromyalgia. This condition is characterized by chronic muscle pain. In addition to pain, which can be of varying severity, there is a lack of energy, a decrease in immunity, a feeling of anxiety, concentration disorders, sleep disorders and vision problems.

Despite its name, it covers many organs, not just joints. Acquired heart defects are its most common complication. The onset of the disease is sudden, with an irregular fever above 39 degrees C. When the inflammation spreads to other joints (knees, ankles, shoulders or wrists), the fever increases rapidly. The joints that the disease attacks symmetrically are warm, flushed, very swollen and extremely painful with every movement. The symptoms persist for 3-4 days, the symptoms disappear, but the disease continues and with time another joint is attacked. The symptom of rheumatic fever may also be subcutaneous nodules the size of grains or beans. They disappear and appear in successive places on the skull, elbows, ankles, shoulder blades, patellae, backs of the hands and along the spine. On the skin, especially in the armpits, the so-called marginal erythema – an enlarging red spot with a lighter center (the so-called ring). The interconnected stains resemble Turkish patterns on the fabric. The rash disappears as the skin cools down. The most dangerous complication of rheumatic fever is myocarditis, which can lead to arrhythmias, regurgitation or stenosis of the valves. Rheumatic fever is treated with antibiotics.

It is a complex of symptoms with many causes that is characterized by inflammation and the involvement of many organs and systems, especially the skin, kidneys, cardiovascular system, lungs and central nervous system. Women between the ages of 15 and 40 suffer from the disease most often. At the root of the disease are abnormalities in the functioning of the immune system. The development of the disease may also be influenced by environmental factors (including retrovirus infections, ultraviolet radiation, penicillin, sulfonamides and others) and hormonal factors (estrogen effect). The course of the disease is very different – from very acute to chronic with periods of exacerbation and silence of the disease. General symptoms include weight loss, fever, general weakness and anorexia. 75 percent of sick people has erythema on exposed skin, that is, where the sun can operate. Hair loss is an unpleasant symptom of the disease. The most common symptoms are pain or arthritis. Imaging studies do not show erosions or other signs of bone destruction. One of the most serious effects of the disease is kidney damage (this applies to 85% of patients). Due to the type and severity of the symptoms, there are six classes of the disease. The first is mild or minimal disease, and the sixth grade is progressive glomerulonephritis with sclerosis. The disease is classified as an autoimmune disease, it is incurable. Its treatment is difficult, but – fortunately for the sick – new therapeutic possibilities appear. The prognosis depends on the degree of involvement of individual organs, especially the kidneys and the central nervous system.