March 14, 2012

Rheumatism - Infectious disease of allergic nature, which affects the connective tissue in the cardiovascular system and in the skin, joints, muscles, internal organs. Typically, rheumatic fever strikes in childhood and adolescence. It is believed that the causative agent of the disease appears hemolytic streptococcus But the main factor contributing to the development of rheumatic fever is an allergy. So, very often rheumatic fever occurs in humans as a consequence of sore throat , Acute inflammatory processes in the upper airways, accompanies tooth decay . Also contributes to the emergence of rheumatism hypothermia, prolonged exposure to moisture.

Rheumatic joints   (another name - rheumatoid polyarthritis ) - A disease which development can take place in the body imperceptible to humans, but its consequences will be serious. For some reason, it assumed that the feet and joints rheumatism affects mainly the elderly. But experience shows that most of articular rheumatism in children from 7 to 15 years. If we consider the number of patients with rheumatism in general, about 80% of adult patients are people who are under forty years.

Causes of joint rheumatism

Very often, articular rheumatism occurs in those people whose relatives have already been instances of this disease. Also suffer from rheumatism people who often suffer from infectious diseases, as well as those in whose body there is a special protein group B. It has been observed that the more frequently articular rheumatism occurs in women. Severe attacks of rheumatic fever occur during the cold season, because it is often hypothermia becomes one of the factors causing the illness.

The cause of the disease gets transferred earlier streptococcal infection . Her consequence of in this case, becomes a inflammation of connective tissue of a number of organs. According to studies, articular rheumatism manifests itself as an allergic reaction to the process of one of the body's infection beta-hemolytic group A streptococci . Illness, previous rheumatic joints, often sore throat . chronic pharyngitis . scarlet fever . tonsillitis . otitis   and etc.

When injected into the human body's immune system is strengthened streptococcus fights pathogens and thus starts to produce specific antibodies. For these antibodies characteristic property is streptococci on certain molecules. These molecules have people who are prone to rheumatic joints. As a result, antibodies attack the body undergoes its own. As a result, human inflammatory processes occur in the connective tissue. As a result of these processes and there is a rheumatic heart, joints, and others. The person may not have immunity to infection, so when re-infection occurs and repeated attacks of rheumatism of the joints. Sometimes the cause of the manifestation of this disease is also a genetic predisposition.

Symptoms of rheumatic joints

If a person developing rheumatic fever, symptoms begin to appear with a fairly sharp pain in the joints. Typically, damage occurs primarily in large joints. Very often affected talocrural . knee . ulnar . radiocarpal . shoulder joint . With the defeat of the joint is its redness, feels it gets hot. If at the patient is observed further progression of of rheumatism, the symptoms of are amplified: pain in the joint become even more intensively, often the patient can not to move and even touch to the joint. Rheumatic joints proceeds very painful. Also, the human body temperature increase is observed: sometimes it rises to 39 ° C and even to 40 °.

Only in rare cases rheumatism amazes one by one the joint: more frequently disease develops in several the joints at once .  In this case, rheumatoid attack appears as follows: first a worsening observed in the joint, but a few hours of pain in this joint becomes less intense, slightly decreases swelling and redness .  However similar changes are observed for that moment already in other joint .  Thus, the development of this form of rheumatism symptoms are "volatile" nature .  If the treatment of rheumatism begins immediately after the first manifestation of its symptoms, the disease can be suspended .  As a consequence, in the pathological process will involve only two or three joints .  Otherwise, in the absence of adequate therapy for a long time, the patient will be defeated all new joints .  Gradually, the disease can spread to the joints of all limbs, sometimes it also affects the joints of the spine and lower jaw .  In this case, a person has to suffer extreme pain during a meal .

Pain in patients with rheumatic disease often manifests itself sharply and unexpectedly disappears. Thus there is no deformation of the affected joint, because the disease mostly benign. Sometimes the pain can wear a migratory character. Inflammation of the joints, usually takes about one week.

According to specialists who deal with the problem of the treatment of rheumatism of the joints, most often occurs in people defeat those joints that person in the course of professional activities or daily work loads the most. Also, rheumatism often affects the joints that were previously injured, that is subject to frequent hypothermia, bruises, pressure and other negative influences. For example, rheumatism feet often seen in people who have a lot of walking or running.

However, rheumatic joints do not always occur as a manifestation of noticeable signs of disease. If attacks of rheumatic fever occur again, the beginning of the disease is not as sharp. The most common symptoms of rheumatic fever are less pronounced in the elderly: pain nenastolko intense, a person can move the joint, fever and insignificant. In some cases, people even in this state continue to work and do not seek professional help.

If articular attack occurs so sluggish, that a person, as a rule, observed repeated exacerbations of the disease, in which the pain intensified. The articular rheumatism generally lasts for several months.

Complications of joint rheumatism

At the same time the person often manifests itself rheumatic heart disease . In this case changes in an organism may be minor, i.e. such, that diagnose only in the process special survey. But in the part of of cases have the the place heavy defeats, under which the patient feels strong palpitation, suffers from of edemas, shortness of breath , Pain in the heart. Rheumatic heart disease is most often seen in people 12-25 years of age.

The disease poses a risk in terms of its effect on the heart valves. In the process of development of heart valves shrink, lose their elasticity and eventually destroyed. As a result, the deformation of the valve: they are either not disclosed fully or merge is not tight enough. Therefore, complication of of rheumatism of the heart and of rheumatism of the joints can be the valve vice.

Also, complication of of rheumatism can become a defeat of nervous system, which is most often seen in children. As a result, the child becomes very irritable, moody, often scattered. Later, a sick child may show problems with memory, change the nature of speech, gait.

In certain cases shown rheumatism anulyarnoy erythema . On the skin of patients have annular lesions under the skin - the so-called rheumatoid nodules. However, this form is less common complications.

Diagnosis of rheumatic joints

Implementation of the diagnosis of rheumatic fever based on the presence of a number of clinical signs of certain organs, as well as the results of laboratory tests. In the acute phase of rheumatic joint in the blood, usually observed neutrophilic leukocytosis In the early days of the disease can decrease the level of Hemoglobin And if the recurrence of the disease recur frequently, it is possible manifestation anemia . Also, there is a number of other changes characteristic of the disease.

It is important to make a differential diagnosis with nonspecific infectious endocarditis poliartritomsepticheskim . Tuberculosis . neurosis   and other diseases.

Also, for the diagnosis of heart disease the patient is assigned to conduct an ECG or ultrasound of the heart.

Treatment of rheumatic joints

To treatment of rheumatism of the joints has had a maximum success, you must seek the advice of doctor's immediately after the appearance suspicions on rheumatism joints. The effectiveness of treatment depends on many factors: first of all, it is important to choose the means and methods of treatment, as well as comply with all recommendations of the physician. So, it is important to adhere to bed rest, comply with the general peace, to be in a clean, well-ventilated room. The patient must comply with bed rest as long as the activity of the inflammation begins to subside. Some experts also advised to reduce the amount of edible carbohydrates   and increase the number of proteins .

In the treatment of rheumatic joints doctors often prescribe a number of different means, the principle of comprehensive treatment. So, until symptoms disappear pronounced inflammation doctor may prescribe a course antibiotics . In view of the nature of streptococcal rheumatic therapy is often carried out penicillin . Also, patients received nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Treatment with penicillin last for 10-14 days. Depending on the individual characteristics sometimes the duration of treatment increases, or is assigned a different antibiotic. NSAIDs should be taken, at least for a month, until such time as all the signs of active rheumatic disease of the joints disappear.

In parallel, the patient is prescribed reception immunosuppressants . glucocorticoids , and gamma-globulins   to enhance the protective functions of the body.

After, as an acute state at rheumatism legs and of the joints will be discontinued by, the patient shown undergo a course of of physiotherapeutic procedures. Often during treatment of rheumatism using electrophoresis, UHF, warming lamp infrared rays, paraffin baths.

If attacks of rheumatic fever occur in a patient for a long time, it may assign the procedure plasmapheresis   (blood purification). Using this method, blood is cleared from different toxins and antibodies.

With the correct approach to the treatment of joint pain and swelling in patients tested, in most cases after one or two weeks. But if the patient goes to the doctor immediately, the attack of rheumatic fever can result in a few days.

If necessary in the treatment of rheumatism, heart and joints shall also address the causes of chronic infection, for example, the removal of the tonsils.

Prevention of rheumatic fever

As prevention measures are applied rheumatism primary and secondary prevention. For primary prevention of rheumatic fever, it is first necessary to take all measures to enhance immunity. To do this, be sure to practice hardening, have regular complete rest, prefer healthy food. A person who has symptoms of infectious diseases, you should immediately seek the assistance of a doctor. What is important is the correct approach to the treatment of both acute and chronic streptococcal infection.

Equally important are the above-mentioned methods of prevention of rheumatic fever among children in families where there were cases of rheumatism of the heart, joints and other organs. Preventive measures should be applied to children who are sick nasopharyngeal infection or chronic tonsillitis.

Secondary prevention of rheumatic fever are intended to prevent the recurrence of the disease and rheumatic disease progression in patients who currently consist in the dispensary in connection with prior rheumatic fever.