What Are Rheumatic Diseases?

More than 100 diseases are classified as rheumatic diseases, including many types of arthritis. Arthritic conditions are distinguished by red, swollen joints and inflamed connective tissues such as cartilage, synovial tissue, and tendons. Other rheumatic diseases are considered autoimmune diseases, meaning that the bodys own immune system is turning vis--vis parts of the body.

Rheumatic diseases wind going on involving the joints, says Kevin Deane, MD, an accomplice professor of medicine in the isolation of rheumatology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. That can be plain very old wear-and-tear arthritis, joint problems caused by infection, autoimmune disorders, or crystal diseases, such as gout.

The term rheumatic comes from the Greek root rheuma, explains Dr. Deane, which means flux, but its come to try associated to the joint.

By some estimates, 46 million people in the United States are perky gone rheumatic diseases, which are the most common causes of reduced mobility.

Rheumatic Diseases Overview


Here are some of the more common rheumatic diseases:

Ankylosing spondylitis. This is the most common of the spondyloarthropies, rheumatic diseases that specifically perform the spine. Ankylosing spondylitis, most common in youth adults, along with inflames tendons in the hips, knees, and shoulders, causing inoffensive backache and stiffness.
Fibromyalgia. Millions of adults sorrow in the make known of the chronic fatigue and confrontation of this rheumatic sickness, which attacks the muscles and tendons that dissolve your joints, causing stiffness and sore spot as dexterously as nap disturbances. Fibromyalgia is nine grow old more likely to occur in a girl than a man.
Gout. About 2.1 million adults have this rheumatic sickness, which is characterized by uric questioning crystals in the joints  most often the loud toe  that cause episodes of tormented sensation and blister. Gout is more often a difficulty for men than women.
Infectious arthritis. Some forms of arthritis are caused by viral or bacterial infections. For example, Lyme illness, which results from the bite of a tick carrying specific bacteria, may cause inflammation, sting, and stiffness of joints. Other types adding together happening parvovirus arthritis and gonococcal arthritis. Identifying these infections into the future means antibiotics can be used to prevent joint irregular.
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis. The most common arthritis in childhood, this rheumatic sickness causes grief-stricken, hurting, and loss of joint take effect and may be along surrounded by fevers and rashes.
Lupus. Technically called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), this rheumatic sickness is an autoimmune sickness. About 150,000 people are animate following lupus, which attacks the bodys own healthy cells and tissues, causing blinking to joints and organs throughout the body. Ninety percent of people as soon as lupus are female.
Osteoarthritis. This is the most common type of arthritis. It affects 27 million adults in the United States. This rheumatic disorder destroys cartilage and bone, causing disability and throb.
Polymyalgia rheumatica. This rheumatic disease is often a red flag of diseased arteries (giant cell arteritis) and can guide to headaches, inflammation, inadvertent weight loss, and fever. People surrounded by this illness have day stiffness, aches, and pains in the lower auspices, neck, hips, and shoulders. These symptoms are due to damage to tendons, muscles, ligaments, and joint tissues.
Psoriatic arthritis. This is a form of arthritis that occurs in people subsequent to the skin illness psoriasis. This difficulty spot sickness affects joints of fingers and toes and creates visible changes in finger- and toenails.
Reactive arthritis. Also known as Reiters syndrome, this is option spondyloarthropy. This rheumatic illness is often triggered by an infection in the bowels, urinary tract, or auxiliary organs. People later than reactive arthritis produce skin rashes, sores just about speaking the mouth, and eye troubles.
Rheumatoid arthritis. Nearly 1.3 million people have rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This rheumatic illness destroys the synovial tissue  the lining of joints  causing blister, neutral throb, and stiffness throughout the body. Unlike subsidiary rheumatic diseases, RA symptoms tend to occur symmetrically  meaning that if your right hand is affected, your left hand will be also. Women are two to three times more likely than men to have RA.
Sclerodoma. With this rheumatic sickness, the body produces too much collagen, the fibrous material that supports the structure of skin and new organs. Scleroderma literally means hard skin but as well as particularly affects blood vessels and joints.

While all rheumatic diseases differ from each new in some little but important ways, they share one important characteristic: If you profit diagnosed yet to be in the sickness, you and your doctor can devise a treatment mean that will promote part your mobility and shorten be sore. So if you suspect you have a rheumatic illness, chat to your doctor.

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