Rheumatic fever - is a medical term that is often used to describe disorders associated with various parts of the body. In most people associate with rheumatic arthritis or rheumatic fever, pharyngitis, acute complication which may result in damage to the heart. However, the term rheumatism is also used to describe the symptoms of many disorders that can cause pain or weakness. It is believed that all the so-called rheumatoid diseases include various disorders of more than two hundred.
The most common ones are: pain in the back and neck, bursitis
Bursitis - if you have trouble walking
Osteoarthritis, capsules, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis
Arthritis - a variety of forms and complications
, rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis - when the sore joints
Lupus. In addition, many manifestations of autoimmune diseases are also often referred to as rheumatism. Today the term is more often used in the vernacular than in the medical literature.
Some forms of rheumatism, extra-articular rheumatism called affect the soft tissue, causing pain throughout the body. This category includes such conditions as fibromyalgia and tendonitis. Articular rheumatism can also be localized to a specific body part. For example, bursitis most often develops in one joint damaged as a result of heavy tension.
Another type of rheumatism, the so-called carpal tunnel syndrome develops because of the uncomfortable position when a person is typing, and / or various problems with posture.
It has long been known the link between rheumatic pain and the weather scientists have not yet been able to refute. It is assumed that the main factor contributing to the emergence and strengthening of the pain of rheumatism, is the atmospheric pressure. Low pressure pain increases when high - it weakens or goes entirely. The reason for this is not entirely clear.
Traditional medicine offers many tools for the treatment of rheumatism
Treatment of rheumatic disease: old age - in joy!
. Representatives of modern official medicine argue that because different types of rheumatic diseases have different reasons for their treatment requires a different approach. For initial relief of symptoms of rheumatism such commonly used drugs as paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents. Often, stronger analgesics are required.
Causes of rheumatism
Rheumatic fever or acute rheumatic fever - an inflammatory disease of the connective tissues, mainly affecting the heart, developing in predisposed to it people, mainly young adults, due to infection by beta-hemolytic streptococcus group A (but there may be other pathogens).
Rheumatism begins with impaired immunity. Bacteria and viruses (especially beta-hemolytic streptococcus) become source sensitization (sensitization) of the organism, that leads to the production in response to their introduction antibodies that gluing with bacterial antigens, deposited on heart valves, joints, causing inflammation in this area. An important role in the development of rheumatic fever has a genetic predisposition to connective tissue diseases such. Thus, it has been found the most prone to the disease entity from groups II and III of blood.
Stages of development of the inflammatory process
The connective tissue rheumatism is a series of characteristic changes, the whole cycle which takes 3-4 months. The first stage is characterized by inflammation and swelling of tissue edema, this phase is reversible.
The next stage - is already irreversible. In this phase, the station receives inflammation plasma proteins (mainly fibrinogen) that degrade collagen fiber tissue.
The third stage of rheumatic process - is the appearance of inflammation at the site of specific clusters of cells (granulomas). Later at this place formed a scar, changing the shape of the heart valves.
In addition to characteristic changes in the connective tissue rheumatism inflammation occur in all parts of the heart, joints, and some other changes.
The course of rheumatic fever
During rheumatism release inactive and active phases. During rheumatism may be acute, subacute, Protracted, relapsing and continuously asymptomatic (latent), which is further manifested heart defects.
On localization of active rheumatic process distinguish cardiac manifestations (carditis), joints (rheumatoid arthritis), nervous system (chorea), leather and so on.
Initial signs
Most often the disease begins in a few weeks recovering from a sore throat or any other infection. Repeated attacks can begin earlier, after any external influence: hypothermia, disease, exercise and so on.
The disease usually begins acutely, with a temperature rise to high numbers, chills, which may be replaced by profuse sweating with a sharp decline in temperature (intermittent fever). At the same time there are volatile (begin and end quickly in one joint and then go to another) destruction of large joints with increasing severe pain, redness and swelling of the soft tissues. Arthritis lasts for about a month (sometimes less), and then disappears without a trace.
Rheumatic heart disease
Signs of heart disease usually appear after the fever subsided phenomena, but sometimes occur without them. Complaints of patients with no such expressions as in the affected joints. Usually disturb unpleasant sensations in the heart, a small exertional dyspnea, palpitations. Primary rheumatism attacks rarely result in severe valvular heart disease with the development of heart failure.
Rheumatic endocarditis (damage the inner lining of the heart), is usually asymptomatic, but can cause rheumatic heart disease, which often occur with repeated attacks.
Diagnosis of rheumatic fever
Diagnosis is based on characteristic signs of the disease in conjunction with laboratory data. For rheumatism characterized by inflammatory changes in the blood count (a large number of white blood cells, high ESR). It is also characteristic increase in blood antibody titers protivostreptokokkovyh (but if the cause of the disease was not a strep infection, you do not have this feature). There has also been an increase of some blood biochemical parameters (fibrinogen, globulins, the appearance of C-reactive protein, and others.).
Treatment
Treatment of rheumatic fever attack usually takes place in a hospital, in the first 2-3 weeks of the disease the patient must comply with bed rest, the whole course of treatment takes 1-1, 5 months. The diet recommends limiting sodium chloride.
Initially prescribe antibiotics (usually penicillin), anesthetics. Inflammation removed by means of glucocorticoids (prednisolone), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (voltaren, indomethacin). Later also prescribed for the treatment of heart failure (if formed).
Beyond acute rheumatic patients are under the supervision of a rheumatologist and receive anti-treatment, in which necessarily identified and being treated all foci of infection in the body.
Remember rheumatic fever is often a consequence of our careless attitude to health, so try to promptly treat carious teeth, tonsillitis and other hotbeds of possible infection.
Galina Romanenko
