What tests does the rheumatology and immunology department do

Today's technology is advancing at a speed that we can't imagine, and this is true in many fields. With the development of science and technology, medical equipment is becoming increasingly advanced. There are professional equipment for many diseases, so it is inevitable to divide the types of diseases into corresponding specialties. Some people will suffer from rheumatic diseases due to low immunity. Does this mean we need to go to the rheumatology and immunology department? Many people are always confused about what diseases the rheumatology and immunology department treats. Let’s learn about it below.

Everyone has immunity. A normal person's immunity is like a health guard. Whenever "foreign enemies" such as bacteria and viruses invade, the body will send out an alarm, and the body's immunity will be mobilized to eliminate the "foreign enemies." However, in some people, this part of the normal immunity is weakened, and some "mobs" are differentiated - pathogenic T cells, B cells and other immune cells are abnormally activated and proliferated, thereby producing a variety of inflammatory mediators, cytokines and autoantibodies. These "mobs" cannot distinguish between friend and foe, and begin to attack the normal tissues and organs of the human body, attack the skin, joints, and internal organs, and then rheumatic immune diseases occur - this is the cause of most rheumatic immune diseases.

So what specific diseases are included in rheumatic autoimmune diseases? Rheumatic and immunological diseases are a general term for a large category of diseases, with a total of more than 200 types, but the most common clinically include rheumatoid arthritis, gouty arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, Sjögren's syndrome, dermatomyositis/polymyositis, scleroderma, osteoarthritis, Behcet's disease, etc., etc. Moreover, rheumatic and immunological diseases often cause joint and muscle pain, but the rheumatology and immunology department not only treats "rheumatic bone pain", but also "difficult and complicated diseases" in internal medicine, such as fever of unknown cause, unexplained damage to multiple organs, etc.

For example, the early clinical manifestations of scleroderma patients are swelling and thickening of the skin, starting from the fingers and hands, and may be accompanied by fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, etc., followed by a variety of manifestations, including skin, lungs, heart, digestive tract or kidneys. Some patients eventually develop visceral lesions, such as cardiopulmonary or renal damage in the early stages of the disease, or sudden death in patients with severe pulmonary hypertension.

For example, some patients with systemic lupus erythematosus only have some rashes, oral ulcers, and arthritis in the early stages of the disease, so they fail to attract attention. However, once the disease progresses, it affects the kidneys, lungs, heart, and brain, and causes lupus nephritis, lupus pneumonia, lupus myocardial damage, and lupus encephalopathy, which are often life-threatening!

Early diagnosis and treatment, as well as early medication, can control the condition of patients with rheumatic autoimmune diseases at the initial stage of the disease. The earlier the diagnosis is made, the easier it is to stop medication. Taking rheumatoid arthritis as an example, cartilage or bone destruction in rheumatoid arthritis can occur within 3 months of onset. There is a large body of evidence that the earlier effective treatment is carried out, the lower the chance of joint erosion and destruction.

Secondly, standardize and actively treat. In the treatment of diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, active and standardized medication can undoubtedly relieve the condition of more patients with rheumatic autoimmune diseases without any adverse reactions.

Rheumatic autoimmune diseases often involve multiple organs, have diverse symptoms, and individual differences in response to drugs. For example, systemic lupus erythematosus is a highly heterogeneous disease with many changes and diverse clinical manifestations. Therefore, we must emphasize individualized treatment and find the most appropriate, effective and safest treatment plan for each individual in drug treatment to improve the patient's survival rate and quality of life.