A lecture on rheumatism was delivered last Wednesday aiming to raise awareness about the illness at Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital, and attended by a number of health professionals in the field. “This is a campaign that seeks to increase the level of awareness amongst people in the Kingdom about this disease,” remarked Dr. Hatem Eleishi, assistant professor of rheumatology at Cairo University and consultant rheumatologist at Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital. “Most people are ignorant of the ways in which it can affect the body and particularly of the fact that more women are afflicted by it than men. At least one in a hundred people is diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.” He added that raising awareness about rheumatology is also necessary as it remains a relatively unknown affliction in Middle Eastern population. “Rheumatism is described as pain in the musculoskeletal system, that is, the joints, the bones and the muscles,” he remarked. “It refers to that branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the joints, bones and muscles, including conditions affecting the heart, lungs, kidneys and skin.” He clarified the fact that rheumatoid arthritis is related to the immune system, caused by a mistake in the immune system's recognition of the joints. Because the system recognizes joints as microbes, it starts to produce antibodies that attack them and cause inflammation, which results in pain and the swelling of the afflicted joints. Commonly afflicted joints are normally the hands, feets, shoulders, elbows and knees, according to Dr. Eleishi. He explained that some of the basic causes of rheumatism include bad posture habits such as sitting too long in front of the computer; the overuse of certain joints and muscles; ageing of the cartilage of joints can lead to osteoarthritis of the joints (especially in the knees and spine); sleep disorders and other psychological factors; deposition of crystals of urate (the salt of uric acid) in joints can cause intense inflammation called gouty arthritis. Dr. Eleisha also focused on the diagnosis of patients, explaining that a rheumatologist pays particular attention to a patient's history (including family history, medication history and symptoms), which often gives the rheumatologist up to 70% of the required information for diagnosis. It is vital, therefore, that patients tell their doctor everything in detail. After diagnosis and medication prescriptions, a rheumatologist should then ideally instruct the patient on how to live with the illness. This will include guidelines on keeping the correct posture and movement, which form part of an ongoing rehabilitation program to help the patient regain lost functions, accomplished through physiotherapy. Physiotherapy sessions include working with specific electronic systems as well as undergoing therapeutic exercises which most rheumatologists claim are even more effective than medicines in this area. Dr. Eleisha concluded the lecture by offering two tips on consultation for those who suffer from the symptoms outlined above: Never consult any pharmacist or general physician, and always refer to a specialist. Do not stop taking prescribed medicine unless advised by your doctor.
