Know 4 types of Rheumatism along with their Causes and Diagnosis

Do you know, what is rheumatism? Rheumatism is not a particular disease, but a kind of disordered state of body under which approximately 200 types of rheumatic diseases fall.

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Which part of body rheumatism affects? It affects joint tendons, ligaments, muscles and bones. What are identification signs of rheumatism? Well, it’s identification signs are pain, swelling and inflammation of joints.

As said above, there are 200 types of rheumatic diseases; but I will discuss here only 4 types that are mostly commonly found among patients. They are-

1) Osteoarthritis-

It is that type of rheumatic disease that can occur in joints of knee, hips and lower back, neck and feet.

• The cause which causes it is damage of cartilage between joints of 2 bones. Like shock absorber in a vehicle maintain smooth ride of vehicle the same way cartilage maintain smooth movement of bones in joints. When this cartilage is damaged, bones of joints rub against each other, instead of rubbing against it. This rubbing of bones also damage their shape and also tangle them. 
• This difficult movement is cause of symptoms like pain, swelling and stiffness of osteoarthritis. 
• Which tests are done to diagnose this disease? Well, this disease can be identified with x-ray, synovial fluid test and MRI of affected joint.

2) Rheumatoid arthritis- 

It is that type of rheumatic disease which is caused because of autoimmunity reason. That means your immune system instead of attacking foreign cells, starts attacking cells of your own tissue of joints. Osteoarthritis occur because of damage of cartilage out of aging whereas rheumatoid arthritis occurs out of autoimmunity reason.

• It doesn’t affect a single joint. Instead, it affects those joints that are in pair; for example- both ankles that are in pair of 2 in body. This disease not only affects joints, but effects of it you can notice in other organs such as eyes and in form of rheumatic nodules in body. 
• Pain and swelling, inflammation, joint stiffness are most common identifying symptom of this disease. 
• Which tests are done to diagnose this disease? Well, they are x-ray and synovial fluid test of affected joint. Other tests that are done to  diagnose this disease are ANA test, CBC test, RA factor test, anti-CCP test, CRP and ESR test.

3) Systemic lupus erythymeatosus-

It is also that type of rheumatic disease that is caused out of autoimmunity reason. It is also known by the name “Lupus” alone.

• What are its identifying symptoms? Like other rheumatic diseases, it has most common symptoms of a rheumatic disease for example- joint pain, swelling, stiffness and inflammation. But, along with this it has turning of finger tips blue or white on exposure to cold, low count of WBC and RBC, hair loss, sun sensitivity, chest pain, stroke, inflammation in joints as well as in heart or lung.  
• Which tests help in identification of this disease? Well, those are urine test, ANA test, anti-dsDNA test and anti-Sm test.

4) Reactive arthritis-

It occurs from infection of joint fluid got from centre of infection in other organ.

• Its symptoms are pain, swelling, stiffness and inflammation of joint. Other associated symptoms are pain when you urinate because of urinary tract infection, eye inflammation. 
• Tests done to diagnose this problem are CRP, CBC, ESR, HLA-B27, X-ray and synovial fluid test of affected joint.