Rheumatism of joints, its symptoms and treatment

To date, few people can correctly answer the question about what rheumatism is. It is widely believed that rheumatism of the joints is a disease of the elderly, and children do not get sick. This opinion was born even at the time when almost all the diseases of the joints were called rheumatism , and it is fundamentally not true.

In fact, rheumatism of the joints is, in most cases, a disease that occurs in children aged 6-15 years. In adulthood, this disease almost does not arise.

Everything begins, usually with an inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract (sore throat, pharyngitis or tonsillitis) caused by streptococcal infection. The causative agent, having got into the body, does not manifest itself for a while, and after a while after the illness (from one to three weeks, depending on the strength of immunity), the first pains in the joints appear . However, in addition to streptococcal infection, the cause of the disease can serve as a genetic predisposition, and the presence of a large amount of slag in the blood. In any case, the first sign of joint rheumatism is the inflammation and tenderness of the joints.

At this stage it is extremely important to notice the disease - rheumatism of the joints, whose treatment was not started on time, very quickly strikes the heart, causing rheumatic heart disease.

It is in order to timely identify the disease and begin treatment, you need to know the main symptoms of joint rheumatism .

The most vivid sign of the development of this disease is the "flashing" pain in the joints: that is, first the pain sensations occur in one joint (for example, in the knee), after one or two weeks the pain passes, but the unpleasant sensations arise again - now in another joint .

Another symptom of rheumatism (already at a later stage) is swelling and redness of the joints, as well as pain in the muscles. When the disease progresses, the patient raises the temperature (up to 40 ° C), and the affected joints become extremely painful.

In the event that even at this stage the treatment does not begin, rheumatism of the joints turns into rheumatic carditis - an inflammation of the heart of a rheumatic nature. Rheumatic carditis has three forms: mild, moderate and severe. If a minor part of the heart muscle is affected in the mild form and the symptomatology of the disease is completely absent, then in the severe stage of rheumatic carditis the greater part of the heart inflames, it significantly increases in size, the patients constantly suffer from pains in the heart, weakness, edema on the legs and shortness of breath. Severe form of rheumatic heart disease can lead to heart disease.

Also, with the progression of rheumatism, a large number of joints of the limbs, spine and jaw can be affected, which makes life almost impossible.

Treatment of joint rheumatism is very long: active antibiotic therapy lasts 2 weeks, during which the patient is treated with penicillin. And for five consecutive years the patient is forced to inject bicillin every three weeks - to avoid relapses.

In addition to the traditional method of treatment, it is possible to alleviate the condition of the patient with traditional medicine. However, when self-medication should be very careful and in any case not act contrary to the instructions of the doctor.

From traditional medicine you can safely take herbal decoctions and tinctures. Thus, with rheumatism, a decoction of the violet of fragrant, yarrow, chamomile, red clover , elderberry, birch, St. John's wort is very effective. And also tinctures on lilac, garlic and a root of a dogrose.

Out of the means of external application, a bath with horseradish juice or decoction of meadow clover, as well as rubbing with alcoholic infusions of birch buds, decoction of white mistletoe or wormwood, is a good result .

A very effective remedy for rheumatism of joints is alcoholic tincture of aconite. It should be borne in mind that it can be used only for external use (for rubbing the patient joints), since the aconite is very toxic.

Of course, all the above methods of traditional medicine can only complement, but do not replace the treatment of a professional doctor.