Arthritis! The word itself causes a lot of anxiety in our minds. Right.
The prime reason is insufficient knowledge which leads to several misconceptions that are very common in our society.
Arthritic diseases (also known as Rheumatic diseases) are a group of rather uncommon diseases. These are auto-immune in nature. In simple words, the immune system of the body, which primarily is for the protection of our body, mistakenly starts attacking the body tissues. This results in inflammation causing damage to the affected organ.
There is no one single cause of arthritis. However, it is certain that genetic predisposition together with environmental ailments and the host body, play a role in inciting arthritis. There are certain well-known triggers like pregnancy, menopause, hormonal treatment, and major physical stress like accidents or surgeries.
These diseases can affect both men and women, with most of the diseases being more common in women than men. Also, they can affect persons of any age, from infancy to old age. Certain connective tissue diseases can also affect the fetus during pregnancy.
Though these are uncommon there are at least more than a hundred types or varieties of rheumatic diseases. Broadly we can classify them into inflammatory arthritis, connective tissue diseases, vasculitic disease, and others.
The most common inflammatory arthritis that we all know is Rheumatoid arthritis.
Ankylosing spondylitis, Gout, and post-infectious arthritis are certain other types.
Connective tissue diseases are rather uncommon as compared to inflammatory arthritis and include Lupus, Scleroderma, Myositis, and other disorders.
While vasculitis diseases are extremely uncommon and need special attention.
Arthritis commonly affects joints causing pain, swelling, stiffness, and decreased joint mobility. If not treated properly it can progress to joint cartilage damage resulting in irreversible deformities. This can lead to significant impairments in daily activities and overall quality of life.
It is important to remember that Arthritis diseases are not limited to joint issues. They can affect any organ of the body, including lungs, skin, hair, kidneys, intestine, heart, and other organs as well. During the evaluation of arthritis, rheumatologists pay special attention to finding out such other organ involvement.
The diagnosis of these conditions requires proper clinical examination. Lab investigations along with imaging can be of valuable help in diagnosis. There are certain antibody tests which are now commonly available in most of the places.
The treatment of arthritis has certainly come a long way since the advent of modern medicine. The medicines used in the treatment of rheumatic diseases are called disease-modifying anti-rheumatic medicines. These are special categories of medicines that should strictly be used under a specialist’s guidance with proper monitoring. Since the turn of the century, the development of newer therapies for arthritis, called Biologic medicines has completely changed the landscape of treatment of arthritis. These are targeted medicines with very high potency that can help us in treating even advanced arthritis conditions.
Social and familial support is as important as medical treatment in arthritis patients. We should be considerate and empathetic while dealing with them. By fostering a supportive and understanding environment, we can help arthritis patients in fighting with their chronic debilitating disease.
Let us hope this short informative article will help you in understanding the rheumatic diseases in a better way.
The writer is a consultant – Rheumatology, Manipal Hospital Goa
