How do you get rheumatism?

Rheumatism is a very common disease in daily life. It not only harms the patient's physical health but also affects their normal life and work, so it is particularly important to understand its cause. Immune response, genetic factors, infectious factors, endocrine factors, environmental and physical factors, and drug factors are the six major causes of rheumatic disease. Patients can be treated through antibiotics, traditional Chinese medicine and other methods.

1. Causes

1. Immune response

Due to the stimulation of the body by exogenous or endogenous antigens, directly or through macrophage presentation, T cells produce a large number of various inflammatory cytokines, causing varying degrees of damage to tissues or organs. T cells can activate B cells to produce large amounts of antibodies, which combine with antigens to form immune complexes and may also cause damage to tissues or organs.

2. Genetic factors

Studies have shown that rheumatic diseases, especially connective tissue diseases, are closely related to patient susceptibility and disease expression and genetics. This study is of great significance to patients with early rheumatic diseases or atypical cases. Human tissue leukocyte antigen is an important genetic factor.

3. Infection factors

The causes of rheumatic diseases are infectious factors, antigens or superantigens produced by microorganisms, which can directly or indirectly stimulate and initiate immune responses. Infection is the main cause of rheumatic disease.

4. Endocrine factors

Studies have found that there is a certain relationship between rheumatic disease and the imbalance of estrogen and progesterone.

5. Environmental and physical factors

Ultraviolet rays are the main factor causing systemic lupus erythematosus, which shows that rheumatism is related to ultraviolet rays.

6. Drug factors

Procainamide and some oral contraceptives can cause rheumatic reactions.

2. Treatment of rheumatic fever

1. General treatment: During the active period of rheumatic fever, you must stay in bed and rest. If there are obvious signs of heart damage, after the condition improves, control the amount of activity until the symptoms disappear and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate returns to normal. If there is heart enlargement, pericarditis, persistent tachycardia and obvious ECG abnormalities, bed rest for 3 to 4 weeks is still required after the symptoms disappear and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate returns to normal. During the recovery period, the amount of activity should also be appropriately controlled for 3 to 6 months. During the course of the disease, it is advisable to eat easily digestible and nutritious food.

2. Anti-rheumatic treatment: Commonly used drugs include salicylic acid preparations and glucocorticoids. There is no need to use glucocorticoids for patients without cardioencephalitis, and salicylic acid preparations are effective for acute arthritis.

3. Antibiotic treatment: Once rheumatic fever is diagnosed, a course of penicillin treatment should be given even if the throat swab culture is negative to eliminate hemolytic streptococci. Persistent or reinfection with hemolytic streptococci can cause rheumatic fever to worsen, so eradication of streptococcal infection is an essential measure for treating rheumatic fever. Generally, procaine penicillin is injected intramuscularly once a day for 10 to 14 days; or oxacillin sodium (benzylpenicillin sodium) is injected intramuscularly once. People who are allergic to penicillin can be given erythromycin orally.

4. Treatment with traditional Chinese medicine: Acute rheumatic fever is mostly caused by heat arthralgia, and it is appropriate to use the method of dispelling wind, clearing heat and removing dampness. Chronic rheumatic fever is mostly caused by cold arthralgia, and should be treated with methods of dispelling wind, dispersing cold and eliminating dampness. Glucocorticoids, salicylic acid preparations, etc., combined with traditional Chinese medicine treatment, may achieve better results. Acupuncture therapy is also effective in relieving joint symptoms.