Rheumatism diseases

Ankylosing spondylitis is an inflammatory disease that, over time, can cause some of the small bones in your spine (vertebrae) to fuse. This fusing makes the spine less flexible and can result in a hunched-forward posture. If ribs are affected, it can be difficult to breathe deeply. Early signs and symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis might include pain and stiffness in your lower back and hips, especially in the morning and after periods of inactivity. Over time, symptoms might worsen, improve or stop at irregular intervals.The areas most commonly affected are:

• The joint between the base of your spine and your pelvis
• The vertebrae in your lower back
• The places where your tendons and ligaments attach to bones, mainly in your spine, but sometimes along the back of your heel
• The cartilage between your breastbone and ribs
• Your hip and shoulder joints

There is currently no cure for AS, and the damage it causes is irreversible. However, some options can help relieve the symptoms and manage the progression.These include:

• physical therapies and exercises
• certain drugs
• surgery, in rare cases

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that can cause joint pain and damage throughout your body.The joint damage that RA causes usually happens on both sides of the body. Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when your immune system attacks the synovium — the lining of the membranes that surround your joints. Signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis may include:

• Tender, warm, swollen joints
• Joint stiffness that is usually worse in the mornings and after inactivity
• Fatigue, fever and loss of appetite

Treatments for RA can stop joint pain and swelling. Treatment also prevents joint damage. Early treatment will give better long term results. Treatment methods:

Medications- The types of medications recommended by your doctor will depend on the severity of your symptoms and how long you've had rheumatoid arthritis.

Surgery- Rheumatoid arthritis surgery may involve one or more of the following procedures:

• Synovectomy. Surgery to remove the inflamed lining of the joint (synovium) can be performed on knees, elbows, wrists, fingers and hips.
• Tendon repair. Inflammation and joint damage may cause tendons around your joint to loosen or rupture. Your surgeon may be able to repair the tendons around your joint.
• Joint fusion. Surgically fusing a joint may be recommended to stabilize or realign a joint and for pain relief when a joint replacement isn't an option.
• Total joint replacement. During joint replacement surgery, your surgeon removes the damaged parts of your joint and inserts a prosthesis made of metal and plastic.

Therapy- Your doctor may send you to a physical or occupational therapist who can teach you exercises to help keep your joints flexible.

Behçet's disease, or Behçet's syndrome, is a rare and poorly understood condition that results in inflammation of the blood vessels and tissues. The cause of Behçet's disease is unknown, although most experts believe it's an autoinflammatory condition. The main symptoms of Behçet's disease include:

• genital and mouth ulcers
• red, painful eyes and blurred vision
• acne-like spots
• headaches
• painful, stiff and swollen joints

Here's no cure for Behçet's disease, but it's often possible to control the symptoms with medicines that reduce inflammation in the affected parts of the body.These medicines include:

• steroids – powerful anti-inflammatory medicines
• immunosuppressants – medicines that reduce the activity of the immune system
• biological therapies – medicines that target the biological processes involved in the process of inflammation

Lupus is a disease that occurs when your body's immune system attacks your own tissues and organs (autoimmune disease). Inflammation caused by lupus can affect many different body systems — including your joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs. Symptoms can vary and can change over time. Common symptoms include:

• severe fatigue
• joint pain and swelling
• Headaches, confusion and memory loss
• Butterfly-shaped rash on the face that covers the cheeks and bridge of the nose or rashes elsewhere on the body
• hair loss, anemia
• blood-clotting problems
• Fingers and toes that turn white or blue when exposed to cold or during stressful periods

The goal of treatment is to ease symptoms. Treatment can vary depending on how severe your symptoms are and which parts of your body SLE affects. The treatments may include:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• steroid creams for rashes
• Corticosteroids
• antimalarial drugs for skin and joint problems
• Immunosuppressants
• Biologics

Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that can develop when strep throat or scarlet fever isn't properly treated. Strep throat and scarlet fever are caused by an infection with streptococcus (strep-toe-KOK-us) bacteria. Rheumatic fever most often affects children who are between 5 and 15 years old, though it can develop in younger children and adults. Rheumatic fever can cause permanent damage to the heart, including damaged heart valves and heart failure. Rheumatic fever signs and symptoms — which result from inflammation in the heart, joints, skin or central nervous system — can include:

• Fever
• Painful and tender joints — most often in the knees, ankles, elbows and wrists
• Pain in one joint that migrates to another joint
• Red, hot or swollen joints
• Small, painless bumps beneath the skin
• Heart murmur
• Fatigue
• Flat or slightly raised, painless rash with a ragged edge
• Jerky, uncontrollable body movements (Sydenham chorea) — most often in the hands, feet and face
• Outbursts of unusual behavior, such as crying or inappropriate laughing, that accompanies Sydenham chorea

The goals of treatment for rheumatic fever are to destroy remaining group A streptococcal bacteria, relieve symptoms, control inflammation and prevent the condition from returning.

Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Doctors aren't sure what causes it, but some think it's a problem with how your brain and spinal cord process pain signals from your nerves.

Common symptoms include:

• Muscle pain, burning, twitching, or tightness
• Low pain threshold or tender points
• Draining fatigue
• Trouble concentrating and remembering, called "fibro fog"
• Insomnia or not sleeping well
• Feeling nervous, worried, or depressed

In general, treatments for fibromyalgia include both medication and self-care strategies. The emphasis is on minimizing symptoms and improving general health. No one treatment works for all symptoms, but trying a variety of treatment strategies can have a cumulative effect.