Rheumatism occurs as a result of the accumulation of bad-featured inflammations in the joints. Rheumatism, which causes very serious pain in the joints, greatly affects the life of the patient. One out of every 100 people has rheumatic disease. Rheumatism can be seen in people of all ages and genders. Rheumatologist Dr. Reyhan Köse Çobanoğlu stated that inflammatory joint rheumatism, which is expressed as rheumatoid arthritis, which causes very serious pain in the joints, is seen 3-4 times more in women than in men.
THERE ARE MANY VERSIONS OF ROMATISM
There are many types of rheumatism, which means joint pain. While osteoarthritis, which is a structural disorder known as calcification among the people, occurs with cartilage destruction, rheumatoid arthritis, the most common inflammatory joint rheumatism in the society, is seen in 1 out of every 100 people. Inflammatory rheumatism, which occurs as a result of the development of false alarms in the immune system due to reasons such as genetic predisposition and smoking, and the development of antibodies by perceiving the body’s own tissues as a foreign tissue, is 3-4 times more common in women than in men.
THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR STRESS
Dr. Reyhan Köse Çobanoğlu said, “We see this disease more often, especially in women between the ages of 20-40. 30% of people who genetically carry the HLA-DR4 gene are more prone to this disease. Sometimes, a person can get this disease even if it is not in his family, so genetic transmission is not a rule. I can also say that one of the most important factors is stress. If you have very stressful and sleepless nights, your risk of getting caught increases.
FREQUENT SYMPTOM WAKE UP IN THE MORNING WITH PAIN AND Swelling
Expressing that the disease has classic symptoms, Dr. Dr. Köseoğlu said, “The very obvious symptom is very painful and swollen when the person gets out of bed in the morning. Rheumatoid arthritis loves small joints. Fingers, ankles, wrists are more involved. If the person feels stiff, especially in the mornings, has difficulty holding the glass or spoon, for example, if he has trouble unbuttoning his pajamas, he finds it difficult to do his daily activities; however, he should be careful if his complaints decrease towards noon. Especially the presence of morning stiffness is the most typical finding for inflammatory rheumatic diseases.
THE DISEASE CANNOT BE COMPLETELY ELIMINATED
Stating that there is a cure for the disease, but it cannot be completely eliminated, Uzm. Dr. Köseoğlu said, “There are many treatment options that help to maintain a normal life with regular treatment and regular controls. We have pharmacological options that we call disease-modifying, slowing or even stopping the course of the disease. In addition, very promising results are obtained with the molecules known as ‘smart medicine’ among the people, which we call biological drugs, which have been used especially in the last 20 years. Apart from this, the treatment should be considered as a whole, and the patient should be supported in these matters, which are extremely important for the effectiveness of the treatment, such as lifestyle changes, weight loss, and abstinence from smoking.