Rheumatic disease-types & diagnosis
Aster MIMS
ABOUT THE DISEASE
This disease affects the muscles and joints in your body. Examples of rheumatic disease are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis. The treatment plan for rheumatic disease includes regular exercise, medications, stress management, healthy diet, stress management, rest. A rheumatologist is a specialized doctor to treat the patients with rheumatic disease.
Osteoarthritis
- Damages the cartilage, the cushiony material on the end of bones
- Wears down the bones causing joint pain
- Affects the knees, hips, lower back, neck, fingers, and feet.
Diagnosis of osteoarthritis
While consulting your doctor, he will ask your medical history and symptoms. Diagnosis includes physical exam and tells you to get blood tests or take a sample of fluid from an affected joint. The doctor may advice you to take an X-ray of your joint. The X-ray may show narrowing of the joint space or the presence of bone spurs. In some cases, MRI may be suggested.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Lupus
Lupus is als called SLE or systemic lupus erythematosus. Lupus is an autoimmune disease affecting many organs in your body.
Diagnosis
The doctor will enquire about your medical history. He will do a physical exam. After that he will suggest for lab tests of blood including antinuclear antibody test (ANA). He will also suggest for testing urine samples. Positive ANA blood report indicates you are a lupus patient.
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Ankylosing Spondylitis shows its first symptom as lower back pain. For patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis, there will be a pain in the joints where the spine attaches to the pelvis (sacroiliac joints).
Ankylosing spondylitis is more common in young men (aging from teenage years to age 30)
Diagnosis:
The doctor will enquire about your medical history. He will do a physical exam. You may be suggested for X-rays of your back, looking at the sacroiliac joints. You may be suggested for a blood test for checking a protein called HLA-B27
Sjogren's Syndrome
Sjogren's syndrome is a condition that causes your body parts to dry out, especially the eyes and mouth. Some patients with Sjogren's syndrome have RA and lupus. The cause Sjogren's syndrome is unknown. It occurs when your immune system attacks those body parts. This Sjogren's syndrome is more common in women than men.
Diagnosis
The doctor will enquire about your medical history. He will do a physical exam.The doctor may do a biopsy, taking tissue from your inner lip to check in a lab