Public Awareness About Rheumatic Diseases by Prof. (Dr.) Uma Kumar

What is osteoarthritis (OA)? OA is the most common form of arthritis and can occur together with other types of arthritis. It can affect people of all ages but the disease is more common among older people. What are the symptoms of osteoarthritis ? Patients have pain in affected joint which worsens with movement, stiffness after prolonged activity, cracking or grinding noise and decreased range of movement of the joint. What are the risk factors for osteoarthritis? Age, obesity, repetitive joint use like kneeling, bending and squatting, and previous joint trauma increases the risk of osteoarthritis. Is osteoarthritis curable? At present, there is no treatment that can reverse the damage of OA in the joints; however it can be managed by adopting lifestyle measures. Do Athletes are predisposed to arthritis? Osteoarthritis may occur prematurely in certain sports like football, long distance running. Recreational sports done at a ...

Patient 1 Today I will share a real story of a lovely lady who visited me in 2012. She was 24-year-old happily married woman with twinkles in her eyes. She was accompanying her mother-in-law who had osteoarthritis. When she visited me again in 2015, I couldn’t recognize her, she had freckles on her face and tears in eyes. Her marriage was at the brink of being broken On inquiring she disclosed that since she was not able to give successor to the family she was tortured regularly for not being able to give birth to a child. She had five abortions in quick succession. She never had any medical illness in the past. On investigations her blood tests were positive for antiphospholipid antibodies. She was diagnosed as a case of antiphospholipid syndrome. She was counseled and reassured. After 3 months, she reported with severe pain and blackish discoloration (gangrene) of a toe along with breathlessness because of clot in arteries. She was admitted and started on anticoagulation (bl...

Who are Rheumatologists and how can they help you? Rheumatologists are specially trained doctors to deal with different arthritic conditions, autoimmune disorders, metabolic bone diseases and soft tissue rheumatism. A Rheumatologist helps in making the correct diagnosis, recognizing the complications at an early stage, thereby preventing further damage to the joints and body organs & ultimately helping in improving quality of life. What is the difference between a Rheumatologist and an Orthopaedic Surgeon? All medically related joint disorders are dealt by a Rheumatologist. When the joints are deformed, or when there are fractures, then you need to consult an orthopaedic surgeon who is surgically trained. What are the common rheumatological conditions in general population? The common rheumatological conditions are Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Systemic lupus erythematosus (Lupus), Gout, Scleroderma, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Re...

What is Arthritis? Arthritis is a condition which affects joints causing pain, swelling, redness & restricted movements. There can be more than 100 types of arthritis. What is Rheumatism ? Rheumatism is a term used by lay people for aches, pains and stiffness in body (muscles, bones, joints, ligaments, tendons etc.). Who are at risk of arthritis ? Certain factors are associated with increased risk of arthritis like female gender, obesity, repeated injuries to the joints, genetic factors, smoking, and infections. Arthritis occurs only in elderly people. Myth: Arthritis can occur in any age group starting from newborn to old (age is no bar). But certain arthritides (plural of arthritis) are more common in particular age group e.g.osteoarthritis (wear and tear arthritis) is more prevalent in old people while ankylosing spondylitis affects young males. Common arthritides in children are juvenile idiopathic arthritis, rheumatic fever etc but unfortunately, the...