When to make an appointment with a rheumatologist

Most often, a person remembers his health when something begins to disturb him greatly. This is especially true for joint diseases - arthritis, although it is this complex of diseases that is difficult to diagnose. You need to contact a specialist in time; understand what a rheumatologist is treating, what symptoms to treat so that the disease does not flow into a chronic course.

Doctor's area of ​​work

Deformation changes and inflammatory processes in the joints, damage to the connective tissue - the specificity of the doctor in this direction. A rheumatologist is a specialist whose field of work is correct diagnosis and selection of the best treatment. In his work, the doctor is closely related to cardiology, immunology and hematology. Without knowledge in these areas, it can be difficult to establish the true cause of the disease.

Understanding what diseases a rheumatologist treats, the patient will not miss the precious time of starting the treatment course. The groups of problems to be studied by a specialist include:

• joint diseases;
• diffusion of connective tissue (collagenoses, i.e., systemic immune-inflammatory lesions);
• vasculitis (inflammatory processes of a systemic nature in the vessels);
• problems in the soft tissues around the joints.

Each of these groups contains a number of diseases, the warning signs of which you need to know, do not miss the moment and make an appointment with a rheumatologist in time https://volgograd.sovamed.ru/services/revmatolog/.

List of rheumatic diseases

Those diseases that a rheumatologist treats in adults and children can be highlighted in a list with brief characteristics:

• with osteoporosis, which affects the bone structure with a decrease in the level of calcium in the body, the bones of the skeleton are the first to suffer and break;
• with gout, uric acid salts are deposited in the joints, metabolism is disturbed, the disease becomes systemic;
• with bursitis, the mucous bags of the articular apparatus become inflamed;
• with synovitis - the inner layer of the fixed bags becomes inflamed, the accumulation of exudate (liquid) begins in the damaged area;
• with Adamantiadis-Behcet disease, due to articular inflammation, the organs of vision take on the blow, and the skin, oral cavity, genitals are also affected;
• with scleroderma of a systemic nature, vessels and musculoskeletal tissues, skin and internal organs are affected. Such is the effect of this disease of connective tissue in generalized fibrosis and failures in microcirculation;
• with rheumatoid arthritis, small joints are primarily affected, the disease is difficult and often leads to skeletal deformities;
• reactive arthritis develops when an infection enters and affects the tissues of the joints;
• with Sharp's syndrome, signs and scleroderma, and lupus erythematosus, and even dermatomyositis appear;
• osteoarthritis is marked by a chronic course, a gradual distortion of the articular structure and pain during movement;
• in Liebman-Sachs disease, joint damage is diffuse, affecting connective tissue and blood vessels.

An accurate diagnosis will be made by a doctor; self-treatment must be avoided due to complex diagnostics and the likelihood of an error. Improper treatment can aggravate the situation, lead to irreversible consequences.

What to look for

There are a number of signs that signal a malfunction in the body. Determine what the problem is, identify the source of pain - the questions that the rheumatologist decides and what does the doctor do. Among the alarming symptoms, the following stand out:

• creaking, crackling in the joints;
• feeling of aches and pulling pain in the bones of the body;
• unreasonable muscle pain (outside of the resulting sprains and fresh injuries);
• limitation in limb mobility, a feeling of pain when moving;
• tightness in the body, inability to fully move after waking up.

Additional symptoms are an increase in body temperature, a rash on the skin, weakness, darkening in the eyes when changing the position of the body, accompanied by dizziness. Frequent colds, tonsillitis, infectious manifestations.

You should pay attention to your own well-being in the presence of hereditary factors of a rheumatoid nature. Diseases in relatives - systemic vasculitis, arthritis or systemic scleroderma, Lyman-Sachs disease - require preventive monitoring of all family members.

Research for diagnosis

To achieve accurate results and prescribe a course of treatment, the doctor will refer the patient to a number of additional diagnostic and laboratory tests. A detailed blood test (CBC) and tests with indicators of total protein, ESR, CRP, uric acid, antibodies to native DNA, as well as autoimmune activity (the so-called rheumatoid factor), anti-cirrullin and antinuclear factors. If necessary, the doctor will prescribe a referral for X-ray, ultrasound, densitometry.

Choosing a specialist

Problems with rheumatism are not only among adults, children also suffer. A pediatric pediatrician by profession can become a specialist in rheumatology. Adults are treated by a doctor who has completed a therapy internship. If the patient has difficulty in determining his or her discomfort, it is recommended to first consult a pediatrician or therapist. These specialists will give you a referral to a specialized doctor.

To prevent problems with connective tissue and joints, you should follow the advice of doctors about leading an active lifestyle (for example, doing elementary exercises of morning gymnastics or elements from Pilates), long walks in any season and weather, the principles of a properly balanced nutrition. In addition to these simple but effective recommendations, you need to monitor your posture daily, avoid hypothermia or prolonged exposure to the open sun, and take multivitamin complexes. Healthy joints - youthfulness of the whole organism.