Rheumatic diseases (rheumatoid arthritis) are a disease in which inflammation process in the inner lining of the joint capsule wrapping, so swollen and painful joints. Rheumatic disease is one cause of painful joints, especially the small joints in the wrist and fingers.

TERMS rheumatic diseases have been so popular among ordinary people, so that almost all complaints are considered as joint pain rheumatic diseases. Another frequent cause of pain is associated with uric acid. In fact, such an assumption is erroneous, because the two diseases, namely rheumatic diseases and gout, only a fraction of the causes of joint pain experienced by many humans during his lifetime.

The most common cause is calcification of the joints or osteoarthritis (who had shelled by the author in. Distinct rheumatic disease with calcification of the joints (osteoarthritis) in which the calcification of the joints occur depletion layer joint cartilage, so the ends of the bones forming the joint rub against each other directly without a layer of cartilage and bone pain.

Rheumatic diseases tend to be on the small joints in the fingers and wrist, although occasionally the elbow joint, shoulder, ankle and knee. While calcification of the joints more about the large joints such as knees and hips. In addition, rheumatic disease is almost always attacks the joints symmetrically (ie the right and left) and on three or more simultaneously. Calcification of the joints in general, only about one joint only, without any knee pain in other joints.

Cause

To understand the causes of rheumatic diseases, please note that the human body has a defense system against bacteria and viruses, known as antibodies. Antibodies circulate in the bloodstream and is formed by white blood cells in response to the entry of bacteria or viruses into the human body.

In normal people, these antibodies function to kill bacteria and viruses that cause infection. In people suffering from rheumatic diseases, antibodies are formed by the body in order to kill bacteria and viruses that it mistakenly attacks the body back to the person. Parts of the body is attacked by antibodies coating the capsule wrapping joints, called synovial lining.

Symptom

In the early stages, arthritis usually affects the small joints in the wrist and fingers. There are three most commonly affected joints, namely (1) the base joints of the fingers, (2) joint knuckles upper hand, and (3) the base joints of the toes. At the initial stage, the fingers are stiff in the morning as a result of the buildup of fluid in the joints due to inflammation of the synovial lining. After digerak moving, stiffness of joints is usually reduced.

In addition to stiff joints are also swollen, painful, warm and often appear reddish. Pain and stiffness can be so severe that joint movement is limited and very disturbing daily activities.
In addition to wrapping the joint capsule to attack, at about 15% of patients, rheumatic diseases can also cause abnormalities in other body parts, such as skin, eyes and lungs. At the elbow and heel areas of skin may form bumps called subcutaneous nodules, the lungs can occur fibrosis (scar tissue) that can disrupt the function of the lungs, while the cornea can become inflamed, called keratoconjunctivitis Sika.
To confirm the diagnosis of rheumatic diseases have been found four of the seven criteria on the person and the number of criteria 1-4 must have lasted for at least 6 weeks.

To establish the diagnosis of rheumatic diseases, in addition to a physical examination of the inflamed joints, also need to do X-ray examination and blood tests. The purpose of blood tests is to find a type of antibody called rheumatoid factor. Please note that not all patients with rheumatic diseases have antibodies, by contrast, not all people who have rheumatoid factor antibodies in the blood must be suffering from rheumatism, because there are several other diseases that also cause the formation of these antibodies in the blood.

Observing strict criteria above, it can be said that it is not easy to establish the diagnosis of rheumatic diseases in a patient. Therefore, the habit of (false) of some of the common people (and even some physicians) which connects easily with complaints of joint pain rheumatic diseases is a disadvantage because it can result in wrong diagnosis and wrong treatment of joint pain that does not actually caused by rheumatic diseases.

Prevention

Disease of unknown cause with certainty (such as rheumatic disease) can not be prevented. Merely secondary prevention, ie preventing a recurrence of rheumatic diseases that have been brought under control. Form of prevention can be done by keeping the body fit, maintain an ideal weight, reduce psychological stress and immediately get the right treatment when suffering from rheumatic diseases so severe joint damage can be avoided.

NO There are treatments that can cure arthritis completely. Types are available at this time can only reduce or eliminate the inflammation of the lining of the joint synovial capsule wrapping, but the basic causes of rheumatic diseases, namely the presence of antibodies that attack the wrong target layer of the can not be eliminated. Thus, the treatment of rheumatic diseases are only able to control and provide "temporary relief" because of the nature of rheumatic diseases are "cured" and coming back in turn.