Table of contents:
- What is rheumatic disease?
- Is rheumatism definitely inherited?
- Things that increase a person affected by rheumatism
- Inherited rheumatic disease is difficult to prevent
- Lowered rheumatism can not heal completely
Rheumatism is synonymous with diseases that attack older people. Not only that, many people say that this disease must also run in families. Is that true? Instead of guessing, I will review the facts about rheumatism for you.
What is rheumatic disease?
Rheumatism is a group of diseases that number more than 100 types, including those that attack the joints, muscles, soft tissue around muscles and joints, and autoimmune.
So, it needs to be straightened out that rheumatism is a collection of diseases, not just one type of disease. Therefore, the causes and treatment will vary depending on the type.
Is rheumatism definitely inherited?
Many say that rheumatism is a disease that runs in families. In fact, not all rheumatism is inherited or inherited. There are some that are inherited in the family but some are not. Remember, rheumatism is a collection of diseases, so not all of the more than 100 different types are genetic or hereditary.
Rheumatism caused by autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, lupus, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriasis arthritis is a group of diseases with a prominent genetic component. This means that this disease can be passed down from the family who has it.
However, rheumatic calcification (osteoarthritis) or a disease that attacks the soft tissues and joints is not an inherited disease group. Usually this type of rheumatism is caused by things other than genetic factors such as age, excess weight, a history of falls, or a history of trauma.
Apart from biological parents, rheumatic diseases, especially autoimmune ones, can usually be passed down from family members with whom you have blood relations.
However, this condition is not a sure thing. This does not mean that when you have parents, uncles, or grandparents who have rheumatism, you will be affected too. This means that you are just more likely to develop the same disease.
Things that increase a person affected by rheumatism
Apart from heredity, there are many other things that trigger rheumatism. In people who are inherited rheumatism genes and those who are not, environmental factors can trigger the emergence of this one health problem, such as:
- Bacterial infection
- Viral infection
- Chemical exposure
- Sunlight
- Smoke
- Obesity
These various factors tend to trigger rheumatism, especially those caused by autoimmune diseases.
Inherited rheumatic disease is difficult to prevent
Unlike other health problems, autoimmune rheumatism is not known for its exact cause. Therefore, this condition is very difficult to prevent. However, if you have a history of family members with rheumatism, try to reduce the trigger factors.
Things that can be done to prevent the severity of the disease are early diagnosis. By finding out the cause of the disease at the beginning of its appearance, doctors can determine the most appropriate treatment to treat the rheumatism you have.
Usually this diagnosis will be carried out by a consultant rheumatology internist (Sp.PD-KR). One sign that you need to see a rheumatologist consultant immediately is when you experience joint pain for more than two weeks.
Do not carelessly take drugs that are sold in the market because There are many types of rheumatism. By checking with a rheumatology consultant, you will find out what type of rheumatism you have. After that, then the doctor will provide the right type of treatment according to the condition.
Unfortunately, I find there are still many people who when they have joint pain will take pain relievers or herbal medicine they buy themselves without seeking doctor's help. As a result, treatment is delayed so that the condition during treatment is already severe.
Lowered rheumatism can not heal completely
Not all diseases can be completely cured, including rheumatism. This disease tends to recur or recur. However, with proper treatment the disease can still be controlled.
My advice, for those of you who have a family history of rheumatism, try to keep a healthy lifestyle and avoid the triggers. Don't hesitate to consult a doctor if you experience joint pain that doesn't go away.
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