define rheumatism?give me answer
Answers
Answer:
an illness that causes pain in muscles and where your bones join together (the joints)
Answer:
Rheumatic diseases affect your joints tendons, ligaments, bones, and muscles. Among them are many types of arthritis, a term used for conditions that affect your joints.
Sometimes they’re called musculoskeletal diseases. Common symptoms include:
Joint pain
Loss of motion in a joint or joints
Inflammation -- swelling, redness, and warmth in a joint or affected area
The medical field that studies these types of conditions is called rheumatology. If your regular doctor thinks you have a rheumatic disease, they’ll probably send you to a rheumatologist -- a doctor who’s specially trained to treat them.
Your rheumatologist will examine you to diagnose your condition, then oversee a treatment plan for you that will likely include medications, regular exercise, a healthy diet, stress management, and rest.
Common Rheumatic Disorders
Years ago, conditions like this fell under the broad heading of rheumatism. Now there are more than 200 distinct rheumatic diseases. Among the most common ones are:
Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
Lupus
Spondyloarthropathies -- ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA)
Sjogren’s syndrome
Gout
Scleroderma
Infectious arthritis
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Polymyalgia rheumatica
What Causes Rheumatic Disease?
Most of these conditions happen when your immune system goes awry and attacks your own tissues. Doctors aren’t sure what causes this. Sometimes it’s in your genes. Other times it’s a result of something in the world around you, like cigarette smoke, pollution, or something that causes an infection. Gender also plays a role -- rheumatic diseases seem to affect women more than men.
What to Expect When You Have a Rheumatic Disease
• Osteoarthritis (OA)
What it is: Unlike most rheumatic diseases, osteoarthritis isn’t linked to problems with your immune system. It results from damage to cartilage, the cushiony material on the end of your bones. As it wears down, your joints hurt and become harder to move. It usually affects the knees, hips, lower back, neck, fingers, and feet.Symptoms:
Pain
Swelling
Warmth
Stiffness
Muscle weakness can make joints unstable. Depending on what parts of the body it affects, OA can make it hard to walk, grip objects, dress, comb your hair, or sit.Diagnosis: Your doctor will ask about your medical history and symptoms. You’ll also get a physical exam.
Usually by the time someone with OA seeks treatment, there are changes visible on an X-ray of the joint. The X-ray may show narrowing of the joint space or the presence of bone spurs. In some cases, your doctor might request an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to provide a picture of the inside of your joint.
Explanation: