There is some confusion around the term «rheumatism». In this material, we understand what rheumatism is, what was called rheumatism before, and whether it is correct to call any joint pain that way.
What makes a person sick when he is «tormented by rheumatism»?
«Tormented by rheumatism.» We can hear such a complaint from people and meet in books. It is possible that some of our readers themselves say so with tiring pain in the joints. At the same time, not only doctors may know the old medical aphorism «rheumatism licks the joints and bites the heart.» He unequivocally indicates that this disease is not exclusively an articular pathology. That is, the concept of «rheumatism» is not identical to «arthritis» and «arthrosis». What's the difference?
There is confusion around the term «rheumatism». The fact is that until quite recently, according to the Russian classification, acute rheumatic fever was so called. Until now, on the Russian-language Wikipedia page about “rheumatism”, you can read about this disease. At the same time, the international medical community (including already Russian doctors) uses the word «rheumatism» as a collective term for a number of diseases, among which there are joint disorders.
«Old rheumatism» or acute rheumatic fever
Acute rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that affects different organ systems, which develops as a result of a streptococcal infection. Usually, its symptoms occur against the background of untreated tonsillitis or scarlet fever, about two weeks after the onset of the infection. When sick, the body produces antibodies to its own tissues.
Symptoms of acute rheumatic fever include fever, joint pain (usually large), ring-shaped reddening of the skin (erythema), weakness, muscle twitching, chest pain, painless nodules under the skin. When listening, doctors often hear a heart murmur.
The most severe complications of the disease concern the heart. A person who has had such a fever may develop a heart defect. In this case, one of the valves (usually bicuspid, which connects the left atrium and ventricle) does not close completely or, conversely, passes blood worse. In the long term, this can lead to heart failure. The old aphorism about rheumatism, the heart and blood vessels is true — the joints suffer much less.
Rheumatic diseases and arthritis
Rheumatic diseases (rheumatism) are a large group of inflammatory pathologies of the joints, muscles and soft tissues. Many of them are autoimmune in nature, that is, with them the immune system produces antibodies to the tissues of its own body.
WHO indicates that there are at least 150 rheumatic diseases. These include rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, fibromyalgia, and many others.
Rheumatic diseases are often manifested by inflammation of the joints. Joint pain, swelling and stiffness are common symptoms. However, «rheumatism» and «rheumatic diseases» are not synonymous with the word «arthritis». The manifestations of rheumatic diseases can be much wider, many of these pathologies do not affect the joints.
Arthritis is when one or more joints become inflamed. Arthritis can have different causes and course. For example, in gout, arthritis occurs when uric acid crystals are deposited on the joint surfaces, while rheumatoid arthritis develops when antibodies attack them. Accordingly, they also require different treatment.
Rheumatoid arthritis — causes and treatment
Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease of the joints, most often paired and multiple (hands, wrists, feet, less often large joints). If left untreated, the disease can lead to disability.
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Thus, on the one hand, with joint pain, from a medical point of view, it is incorrect to say “tormented by rheumatism”. Joint pain can have many causes, requiring different approaches to treatment. On the other hand, the causes of joint pain are usually related to rheumatic diseases, which are dealt with by a rheumatologist. However, other doctors can also treat arthritis, including general practitioners, orthopedists, and rehabilitation specialists.