Rheumatic diseases are inflammatory, autoimmune, and degenerative illnesses that can affect the entire body.
Rheumatic diseases are more than just pain. They can affect all age collections and vary in severity. In addition, they are often associated with whole body immune system dysregulation and systemic inflammation in addition to specific exacerbations.
The most typical rheumatic illness types will be covered in this article.
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Table of Contents
Rheumatic Diseases: What are They?
There are known to be over 100 rheumatic illnesses. In the US, there are 54 million adult cases of rheumatoid arthritis and 300,000 pediatric cases.
Inflammation, tissue deterioration, and autoimmune dysfunction can all be brought on by rheumatic disorders. Your immune system incorrectly targets healthy tissues when you have autoimmune diseases.
Rheumatic diseases frequently impact the following musculoskeletal system components:
joints
muscles
bones
Ligaments and tendons
Immune disorders that damage important organs are also included in rheumatic illnesses and the medical speciality of rheumatology.
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What Signs are most Typical?
Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms can include some of the following:
aches and pains
bulge
stiffness or limited range of motion
feeling tired or exhausted
general malaise or feeling unwell
heat
weight loss
Rheumatic Disease can affect different body parts and have unusual symptoms.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the joints. RA can affect multiple joints at the same time. However, the joints in your hands, wrists, and knees are the most common targets.
When your immune system attacks these joints, it causes pain, inflammation, and stiffness. It can lead to joint degeneration. As a result, people with RA may lose joint function or even develop deformities in the affected joints.
In rheumatoid arthritis, pain and inflammation usually occur during flare-ups or flare-ups. At other times, symptoms may be less severe or disappear completely (remission).
Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease and can affect major body organs such as the eyes, lungs, skin, heart, kidneys, nervous system, and gastrointestinal system. It can also affect the blood and cause anaemia.
Lupus
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that cause inflammation throughout the body. In this Disease, your immune system is responsible for attacking and affecting organs and tissues such as:
joints
heart
leather
kidneys
brain
some blood
liver
lungs
Hair
eyes
It can lead to inflammation, and pain and sometimes damage organs, joints, and tissues.
Lupus can be a severe and sometimes fatal disease. However, many people with Lupus have a mild form.
Scleroderma
Scleroderma usually causes skin inflammation and connective tissues of joints and organs. However, sometimes a person may experience hardening in the organs and tissues of the joints without external skin symptoms.
Scleroderma is caused by an overrun of collagen, a protein that causes it to accumulate in the body.
Doctors classify Scleroderma as localized cutaneous Scleroderma or diffuse cutaneous Scleroderma. Localized cutaneous Scleroderma usually affects the skin of the hands, neck, knees, and elbows. It does not affect a person’s torso, arms, or legs.
Diffuse Scleroderma occurs over large areas of the body and can lead to severe complications in the respiratory and cardiac systems.
People with Scleroderma may experience movement restrictions due to the thickening and thickening of the skin. The skin can also appear shiny because it is very dense.
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Sjögren’s Disease
Sjögren’s Disease is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks internal organs. And also, the condition can affect your entire body but often occurs in the lungs and the glands that yield saliva and tears, causing dry mouth and eyes.
Sjögren’s Disease can also affect other body parts, including the joints, skin, and nerves. You may notice joint or muscle pain, dry skin, rashes, and neuropathy.
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) – An inflammatory type of arthritis that moves the spine and can cause long-term stiffness. In severe cases, stillness AS is more common in women than men.
In addition to pain and stiffness in the lower back and pelvis, AS can cause inflammation in other large joints such as the hips, shoulders, and ribs. The leading indicator of the lesion is inflammation of the sacroiliac joints. They connect the pelvis to the lower spine.
In more severe cases, AS inflammation can lead to new bone formation in the spine, resulting in stiffness and decreased range of motion. In addition, inflammation and pain in the eyes may also occur.
Gout
Gout occurs when uric acid builds up in the body. Too much uric acid can form crystals in certain body parts, especially the skin and joints. The accumulation of uric acid in gout can also contribute to systemic inflammation and metabolic syndrome.
People with gout experience joint pains, redness, and swelling. It most frequently affects the big toe but can also affect other joints.
Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis can affect people with psoriasis, an autoimmune disease that affects the skin. The Disease often develops after several years of living with psoriasis. Doctors do not know the causes of psoriatic arthritis.
Doctors classify Scleroderma as either localized cutaneous Scleroderma or diffuse cutaneous Scleroderma. Localized cutaneous Scleroderma usually affects the skin of the hands, neck, knees, and elbows. It does not affect a person’s torso, arms, or legs.
Diffuse Scleroderma occurs over large body areas and can lead to severe respiratory and cardiac complications.
People with Scleroderma may experience movement restrictions due to the thickening and thickening of the skin. The skin can also appear shiny because it is very dense.
Systemic Vasculitis
Vasculitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the walls of blood vessels. There are four main subtypes of vasculitis.
ANCA-associated vasculitis: This vasculitis affects small to medium-sized blood vessels and can affect multiple organs.
GCA and Takayasu’s arteritis: This vasculitis usually affects medium to large blood vessels.
The inflammation caused by vasculitis can cause the walls of blood vessels to narrow, which in turn can restrict blood flow. When certain tissues in your body do not receive enough blood, tissue death can result. In addition, many types of vasculitis are associated with joint and muscle pain.
What are the Risk Factors?
Genetic factors play a vital role in many rheumatic diseases, and having a family history of the disease often puts you at higher risk.
Other factors may increase the risk of developing rheumatic Disease.
Age
The risk increases with age in certain conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and polymyalgia rheumatic. Other conditions are more communal between early adulthood and middle age. This includes:
lupus
scleroderma
psoriatic arthritis
Sex
Impact of Infection
Exposure to infection is believed to influence the development of certain rheumatic diseases, such as:
lupus
scleroderma
polymyalgia rheumatica
Basic Conditions
High blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, early menopause, and kidney disease can increase your risk of developing gout.
In addition, having a rheumatic disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus, or Scleroderma can put you at risk of developing other conditions, such as Sjögren’s syndrome or vasculitis.
Why is Early Care Necessary?
It is important to consult your doctor if you have symptoms consistent with rheumatic Disease. In many cases, early diagnosis can prevent the worsening of the condition or more severe symptoms.
Rheumatic diseases can lead to further damage to joints and other tissues without proper treatment.
Bottom Line
Rheumatic diseases are more than just pain. They can affect most body parts, including organs, muscles, bones, and joints. These types of conditions can even affect your skin and eyes.
Rheumatic diseases are inflammatory, and many of them are also autoimmune diseases. It can cause pain, swelling, tissue damage, and other complications. It means that your immune system mistakenly thinks your healthy tissue is a threat and attacks it.
Although the causes of many rheumatic diseases are unknown, they are likely the result of a complex combination of genetic, environmental factors, and underlying conditions.
And, If you think you have a rheumatic disease, make an appointment with your doctor. Early treatment is significant to prevent further damage or more severe complications. Although, If you don’t already have a rheumatologist, you can find doctors in your area using the Healthline FindCare tool.
