Myths and Facts Rheumatic Diseases

KOMPAS.com - Rheumatism is a common disease that affects people both young and old Indonesia. This disease attacks the joints and supporting tissue structures around the joints that can cause pain. In severe levels, arthritis can even cause permanent disability, disability and decreased quality of life.

In society, there are still evolving myths and wrong assumptions about the disease. And myths are misleading if examined from the medical side and is not likely to harm the patient.
Internist and rheumatologist rheumatologist Division Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia (Faculty of medicine), Dr. Bambang Setyohadi, explains some of the myths and facts about rheumatic diseases. Here are the myths and explanations:
1. Frequent bathing the night at a young age sparked arthritis in old age.
In fact, so far there has been no evidence to corroborate that night shower will cause rheumatic diseases. In principle, evening shower or cold shower does not cause arthritis. "In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, a cold shower can make muscle stiffness or spasm. Such conditions usually make the joints, causing pain depressed," said Dr.. Bambang.
2. Eating kale or spinach caused arthritis.
There is no research that links between spinach or kale with riisko rheumatism. "If that should be avoided, if you are destined to suffer from arthritis are foods that can trigger a purine or material will be converted into uric acid like organ meats, seafood or alcoholic beverages," said Bambang.
3. All rheumatic diseases caused by uric acid.
"In fact, only about 10 percent of people with high uric acid arthritis. Many high uric acid patients actually had no arthritis," said Bambang. According to him, uric acid in the blood is high will not necessarily lead to arthritis. "Rheumatic fever occurs when uric acid accumulate in joints and forms crystals of monosodium urate deposition. Disease," he explained.
4. Rheumatic disease is a disease of bone.
The fact arthritis is a disease that attacks the joints of bones and consists of various types of which are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis most commonly affects the large joints that support weight, such as knee joints, hip, spine, back and neck even though it was likely to attack other areas. While rheumatoid artiritis because the immune system attacks the synovial membrane lining the joint or involving all organs of the body, can cause disability.
5. Rheumatic disease only after the elderly.
In fact, rheumatism attacking everyone, young and old men and women depending on the type of rheumatism. In osteoarthritis arthritis primarily affects the type of people aged over 45 years while other types of Lupus Erythematosus attacking young women of childbearing age but can also be about everyone. Men are more susceptible to gout.
6. Rheumatism is a hereditary disease.
In fact, arthritis is not always derived directly from parent to child. "However, there is a tendency of family factors be risk factors such as Rheumatoid arthritis Arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Gout," said Dr Bambang.
7. Pain in the bones at night is a sign of arthritis symptoms.
In fact, the symptoms that commonly occur in patients with rheumatoid arthritis are stiffness and inflammation in the joints (red, swollen, painful, hot and generally difficult to move). This phenomenon is not limited at night. It could be attacked at any time.
Sources: http://health.kompas.com/read/2012/12/11/16473158/