Eat lots of meat, have decayed teeth, dip your hands in cold water after having them very hot and thumping your fingers are some of the myths surrounding rheumatoid arthritis, said rheumatologist Alfredo Reyes Salinas.
“All this is false, unfortunately it is a condition that we do not know its causes, so we can not say that any of these are factors that trigger it,” said the specialist.
Arthritis is an autoimmune disease that affects the joints.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this disease affects 1% of the world population, and in Latin America it is estimated that it affects 0.5% of the population, while in Mexico it is estimated that it impacts on a million people
“This disease can be very painful, it is estimated that a greater percentage of women suffer between 30 and 50 years, but children and young people who suffer from it from an early age are already known,” said Reyes Salinas.
The expert pointed out that it is a systemic disease, that is, it affects various organs of the body such as the eyes, lungs, it can also have effects on blood and cardiovascular.
“It is a systemic, inflammatory, chronic progressive disease that has an autoimmune background, it has a joint repercussion, mainly, but it also has systemic manifestations,” he said.
He explained that this happens because the body does not have the capacity to recognize its own and attacks itself.
He explained that there are some symptoms that may warn about the presence of this disease, although he clarified that most are not specific.
“There are symptoms not very determined such as severe fatigue, weight loss, low-grade fever (prolonged fever),” he explained.
However, he said, the most obvious symptoms are joint pain and joint inflammation.
“This inflammation occurs in the hands, wrists, fingers and toes, and other joints such as knees and elbows can be added, which should alert us,” he explained.
Similarly, he said that the feeling of morning stiffness, that is, that people have a hard time getting up in the morning, is also another very clear symptom.
“If this progresses and is not taken care of, a functional disability can occur,” Reyes Salinas said.
He said that currently there are biological therapies, which are high-tech drugs that target a target and are much more effective.
“What we achieve with this type of treatment is to take the patient to remission, which means to take away the pain, suppress the inflammation that has and, therefore, improve the quality of life of the patient to the point of reincorporating it into their daily activities” , argument.
With this, he said, the progression of the disease is inhibited, “we achieve that there is no joint destruction and that the inflammatory process is suppressed,” he said.
Finally, he recalled that it is important to recognize the symptoms, “when there is inflammation accompanied by accompanied pain, in addition if you are a young woman and you suffer from morning stiffness you should go to the doctor to have attention, preferably with a rheumatologist,” he said.
The important thing of this, he warned, is to have a timely diagnosis and start treatment as early as possible. (EFEUSA) .-
