Rheumatism is a group of conditions affecting joints, muscles, and connective tissue.
The word “rheumatoid” describes a form of arthritisrheumatoid arthritiswhich is a rheumatic disease.
Also,rheumatoid factoris an inflammatory protein in the blood associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
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These disorders affect joints, muscles, or connective tissue and can be autoimmune or non-autoimmune.
Non-Autoimmune
Non-autoimmune types of rheumatic diseases are commonly occurring conditions.
Osteoarthritis can affect any joint, although the hands, hips, back, and knees are most common.
This results in chronic (ongoing) inflammation throughout the body.
Autoimmune rheumatic diseases include:
Rheumatoid arthritis is three times more likely to occur in women than in men.
Symptoms typically begin between the ages of 30 and 60.
General Rheumatism Symptoms and Sensations
Rheumatism symptoms involve pain and inflammation of the bodys musculoskeletal system.
The symptoms can be experienced throughout the entire body, or they may be limited to a certain area.
Blood tests can detect elevated levels of inflammatory markers or antibodies associated with autoimmune conditions.
Risk Factors
Rheumatic diseases result from a variety of different risk factors.
For autoimmune rheumatic diseases, different types of medication can help decrease inflammation throughout the body.
These includeglucocorticoidsto reduce inflammation, anddisease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs)andbiologicsto reduce autoimmune disease activity.
Symptoms of all rheumatic diseases include joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and limited range of motion.
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