On the air of the program “About the Most Important Thing” Alexander Myasnikov spoke about the features of such a disease as rheumatoid arthritis.
“This is a systemic inflammatory disease. It begins not because the joints are worn out, but because inflammation occurs. And it is not always limited only to the joints. This disease is quite common – it affects 1% of the world’s population,” Myasnikov explained.
The exact reasons why this pathology develops have not been established. But there are some known facts. These include heredity and a number of environmental factors.
As for age, rheumatoid arthritis can occur even in children. But still, statistically, it is more often observed in people aged 50+. “Women get sick three times more often than men. Smoking becomes a risk factor. And infections, especially infections of the oral cavity, have a provoking effect on rheumatoid arthritis,” Myasnikov said.
Are there any specific features of this pathology?
“As a rule, this is a symmetrical disease. If you have pain in the small joints on one hand, they may also hurt on the other. The second common and important symptom is morning stiffness. With rheumatoid arthritis, it takes a long time – it can persist for up to an hour,” the doctor explained.
Rheumatoid arthritis can affect any joint. “The heart is also affected – pericarditis, any types of arrhythmias. The ear, eye and even lungs are involved. This type of arthritis also increases the risk of thrombosis and cancer,” the doctor said. This is due to the fact that rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic inflammatory disease that mainly affects the joints. “And then how it will go, it flows in different ways, we cannot know. The treatment is selected by the doctor, and there are no simple solutions,” said Myasnikov.
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About the most important thing
Source: aif.ru