Difference Between Rheumatism and Rheumatoid

As we all know, among all arthritis diseases, rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis are common diseases. Judging from the name, many people think that this is the same disease with just slight differences. In fact, there are many differences between rheumatism and rheumatoid diseases, from definition to symptoms, causes and treatment. Moreover, if patients mistakenly use the treatment methods for rheumatism for rheumatoid disease, it may cause the disease to be difficult to cure.

Of course, both rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis are diseases with a high incidence rate. They are common and highly prevalent diseases. If they are not treated in time after becoming ill, they may cause harm. To avoid treatment errors, it is best to understand the difference between rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a manifestation of rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever is a systemic allergic disease caused by group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection. At the beginning of the disease, there is often a history of infection such as pharyngitis and erysipelas. Rheumatic fever has an acute onset and is more common in adolescents. Rheumatoid arthritis can invade the heart, causing rheumatic heart disease, with symptoms such as fever, subcutaneous nodules and rash. Rheumatoid arthritis has two characteristics: First, the joints are obviously red, swollen, hot, and painful and cannot move. The affected sites are often the large joints of the lower limbs such as the knees, hips, and ankles, followed by the shoulders, elbows, and wrists, and rarely the small joints of the hands and feet. Second, the pain is wandering, with one joint being affected for a period of time and another joint being uncomfortable. However, the pain does not last long and will subside in a few days. Blood tests showed accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, increased anti-"O" titer, and negative rheumatoid factor. Relapse is rare after cure, and no joint deformities are left. However, some patients may suffer from heart disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a common and stubborn chronic arthritis caused by dysfunction of the body's immune system, which produces a large number of rheumatoid factors that invade the synovium and cause synovial inflammatory reactions. The most common sites affected are the small joints of the limbs. It can cause swelling, pain, deformity and dysfunction of joints throughout the body and is one of the main disabling diseases. Although it is not a hereditary disease, it may be related to genetic factors and often occurs in women aged 20 to 40. Early symptoms are mostly joint pain, swelling, stiffness, and difficulty in movement, which may be mild or severe, recur repeatedly, and are difficult to heal, often leaving behind bone and joint ankylosis and deformity. Although a small number of patients may have cardiovascular disease, the vast majority of patients have no cardiac symptoms and are positive for rheumatoid factor. From this we can see that although rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis are both arthritis and have symptoms of joint pain, they are not the same disease and cannot be confused.

It should be noted here that summer is the best season for the treatment of rheumatism and rheumatoid diseases, because the temperature is higher at this time and the body functions are in an active period, which is more conducive to recovery from the disease. In addition, while patients with rheumatic and rheumatoid diseases are receiving treatment, they need to keep warm, keep their clothes clean and dry, and exercise more to improve their body's immunity to help restore health.