Rheumatism of joints symptoms, causes and diagnosis of the disease

Rheumatism is a disease of the connective tissue of all organs and systems of the human body. Especially in this group of diseases, articular rheumatism is distinguished.

Rheumatism: diagnosis of the disease

Rheumatism of the joints develops from streptococcal infection. In this case, the largest joints of the musculoskeletal system of the human body are primarily affected. There is pain and stiffness when moving. There is swelling in the joints of the hands and feet.

At present, it is customary to think that joint rheumatism is a disease of our grandparents. Studies have shown that there is a tendency for this disease to develop in people at an earlier age. The risk group, in the first place, is to include people who have close relatives have joint rheumatism. Symptoms are often observed in adolescents from 8 to 16 years. People who suffer from frequent nasopharyngeal disease are also at risk, as are those who have a rare and specific protein in group B of blood. This disease is most common among women.

Rheumatism: causes of the disease

As a result of numerous studies, the researchers found that the onset of this disease is associated with an allergic reaction to infection of the body with beta-hemolytic group A streptococcus . During the period of the disease, streptococcal infection (acute angina, scarlet fever, chronic pharyngitis, middle ear inflammation), 3% of patients develop an articular Rheumatism (arthritis). When the infection enters the human body, the immune system produces specific antibodies. These antibodies recognize streptococcus by specific molecules. Identical molecules exist in the human body. Therefore, there is an attack of antibodies on your own organism. At the same time the process of inflammation in the tissues, mainly the joints, is formed. During the course of the disease, the inflammatory process spreads to all the joints of the limbs, less often to the joints of the spine. Most often the disease manifests itself in the cold season - hypothermia promotes the development of rheumatism of the joints, the symptoms of which are acute.
They may have a mild character and rheumatism of the joints, the symptoms and course of the disease can be mistaken for manifestations of a common cold or ARVI.

Rheumatism of joints: symptoms

General malaise, aching in the bones, fever, sweating. If you have anti-inflammatory therapy with such symptoms, then joint pain stops after a couple of hours. Without specific treatment, joint pain can be troubling for several weeks. Often, the skin develops redness or subcutaneous rheumatic nodules, muscle twitching, impaired coordination, weakness of the muscular system. The onset of the disease manifests itself gradually: when the morning rise there is stiffness, pain in the joints during movement, a slight swelling. With a prolonged inflammatory process, joint deformity develops. First, small hand joints, wrists and knees are affected, after inflammation passes to the tendons of the muscles. This becomes noticeable with a decrease in muscle mass near the inflamed joint. Diagnosis of such a disease as articular rheumatism is carried out by laboratory-instrumental methods: ECG, blood sampling for the study of the presence of streptococcus, with the definition of its sensitivity to antibiotics, echocardiography, chest X-ray and joints.

Rheumatism of the joints is a disease that, in most variants of the course, leads to deformation of the joints. But most importantly - it often affects the heart and even leads to the appearance of his vice. With a properly established diagnosis, very early complications can be avoided in the early stages of the disease.