Is rheumatic autoimmunity easy to cure?

Everyone knows that rheumatism is caused by long-term environment and poor physical condition. The treatment of this disease is also very long and cannot be eliminated in a short time. Because rheumatism greatly hinders people's daily life, including food, clothing, housing and transportation. So many people can't help but worry, can this disease be cured? If you want to treat this disease, what should you do? Is rheumatic autoimmune disease easy to cure?

In daily life, some people turn pale when the word "rheumatism" is mentioned, and believe that "rheumatism is the immortal cancer" and "if you have rheumatism you will become disabled". Some people even mistakenly believe that "rheumatism is divided into two types: rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis, and high anti-'O' and rheumatoid factor can be used to diagnose rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis respectively".

These misconceptions and perceptions among people have provided fertile ground for quack doctors to survive. Therefore, it is urgent to popularize knowledge about rheumatism. Modern medicine believes that "rheumatism" is a general term for a large class of diseases with different causes but the common feature of involving joints and surrounding soft tissues, with pain, swelling and movement disorders as the main clinical manifestations. It includes hundreds of specific diseases, which can be roughly divided into ten categories: diffuse connective tissue disease (including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, polymyositis/dermatomyositis, vasculitis and Sjögren's syndrome, etc.), seronegative spondyloarthropathy and osteoarthritis. Among them, the most common ones are about twenty or so, not "only rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis".

Rheumatic diseases have a long course, are complex to diagnose, difficult to treat, and may result in very serious consequences. You should try to choose the rheumatology and immunology department of a regular national hospital for diagnosis and treatment.

The characteristics and treatment of each rheumatic disease are different, and the diagnosis is mainly based on a comprehensive judgment of the patient's clinical characteristics, experiments and special examinations. The main purpose of a rheumatologist's consultation is to diagnose which specific rheumatic disease a patient with rheumatic symptoms has and to choose the best treatment plan. The treatment of rheumatic disease requires time and patience, generally at least three months to six months, or even several years or longer, with the aim of controlling the progression of the disease. The doctor will develop a long-term, systematic, comprehensive treatment plan based on the patient's condition, and will also need to observe the efficacy and adjust the treatment plan in a timely manner according to changes in the patient's condition. Therefore, it is best for patients to receive long-term treatment from a fixed doctor in the rheumatology department of a regular hospital. So far, the cause and pathogenesis of rheumatic disease are still not very clear, but it is certain that it is not caused by a single factor, but the result of multiple factors such as genetics, environment, infection, autoimmunity and endocrine.

Pain is the main symptom of rheumatic disease, especially pain originating from joints and soft tissues around joints (including joints, neck, shoulders, back and heels), which is most likely to indicate rheumatic disease. In addition, unexplained myalgia, muscle weakness, rash, photosensitivity, oral and vulvar ulcers, dry mouth and eyes, whitening of the fingertips (toes) when exposed to cold (Raynaud's sign), multi-system damage and fever also indicate the possibility of rheumatic disease. You should go to the rheumatology and immunology department in time for treatment and relevant examinations.

Most rheumatic diseases, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and Sjögren's syndrome, are difficult to cure completely, but regular treatment can completely control the progression of the disease. More medications may be required during the active phase of the disease, but once the disease is under control, the types and dosages of medications can be reduced completely, allowing the patient to remain "disease-free" while taking maintenance doses of medication and lead a normal life for a long time. As a patient with rheumatic disease, you should actively cooperate with the doctor's treatment, especially after being discharged from the hospital, you need to come to the hospital for regular follow-up visits. You can come more frequently in the first few months, such as once a week to half a month. Later, as the disease is controlled and the amount of medication is reduced, the time interval can be gradually extended.

The main purpose of follow-up visits is to monitor adverse drug reactions and disease activity and adjust medications at any time. Patients must take medications as prescribed by their doctors and must not adjust or stop medications on their own, especially those taking hormones, who must not stop taking them suddenly. Patients with different diseases have different precautions. For example, patients with Raynaud's phenomenon must pay attention to keeping local and whole body warm; patients with ankylosing spondylitis should sleep on a hard bed, maintain a good posture, and do more functional exercises and swimming.

Patients in the chronic stage of rheumatoid arthritis must do more joint function exercises to prevent joint deformities. Patients who take hormones for a long time should pay attention to monitoring blood electrolytes, blood lipids, blood sugar, blood pressure, intraocular pressure and bone density, and take calcium supplements and active vitamin D to prevent osteoporosis.