Rheumatoid arthritis patients are most afraid of "typhoon days"! Do 2 things to avoid acute pain
When the typhoon season hits in August, most people only need to worry about whether they have taken preventive measures, but for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, it is not that simple. In addition to worrying about the weather, you also need to pay more attention to your physical condition. What you are most afraid of is that arthritis will take the opportunity to cause trouble, and it will be troublesome when it hurts!
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. Simply put, the antibodies and cytokines produced in the patient's body are abnormal. Instead of fighting against external viruses and bacteria, they fight against their own body tissues. The most obvious symptom is joint pain, which occurs all over the body, mainly in symmetrical small joints.
It is not known what the cause of rheumatoid arthritis is, but it has been clinically found that this disease is more likely to occur in people who like to smoke and drink. In addition, people with a family history of immune system disease People should also pay more attention. Rheumatoid arthritis attacks during typhoons
Cai Changyou, director of the Department of Allergy and Immunology and Rheumatology at Taipei Veterans General Hospital, said, "Although this disease is called rheumatoid arthritis, the cause of the disease depends on the wind speed, Humidity and other weather phenomena do not matter. The main condition for determining the disease is the detection of relevant antibodies in human serum during blood tests. ”
Although strong winds and heavy rain will not cause people to suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, they will. It will cause disease attacks in patients. Cai Changyou described that patients with acute attacks will feel severe pain in their joints, which will worsen especially when moving. If it goes on for a long time, it may even lead to joint deformation.
"It is indeed possible that high humidity in the air, strong winds, and cloudy conditions may cause patients to experience increased pain." Cai Changyou pointed out that, therefore, such as typhoon days with strong winds and heavy rains , is the moment when patients need to be alert. However, pain relief can be achieved through long-term treatment. Based on clinical response, treatment can usually effectively reduce the patient's pain and the frequency of attacks. Daily key to rheumatoid arthritis: keeping warm and applying hot compresses are helpful
Cai Changyou said that rheumatoid arthritis is not a disease caused by diet, so it is less likely to control pain or avoid the disease through diet. "If you want to avoid diseases, you still need to maintain a regular daily routine."
If you feel uncomfortable, you can also use hot compresses on the joints. Cai Changyou explained that because rheumatoid arthritis will cause inflammation, the waste products produced in the inflamed area will cause pain and swelling in the nerve endings. Therefore, hot compress can make the local blood circulation better and metabolize the waste away, so there will be less pain. ** Nerves bring pain.
In addition, cold will cause muscle contraction and increase joint pain and stiffness, so you should always keep your body and joints warm, such as wearing more clothes, socks, and gloves. In an acute attack, you can use painkillers prescribed by your doctor to relieve symptoms; in special cases, you may also need to take a small amount of steroids. Cai Changyou appeals: Rheumatoid medicines containing "quinine" do not mean that patients are immune to the new coronavirus
The treatment medicines for patients with rheumatoid arthritis contain quinine, and there are now claims that quinine can treat new coronavirus pneumonia . In this regard, Cai Changyou specifically reminded that there is no research to confirm whether patients with rheumatoid arthritis will increase their resistance to COVID-19 by taking quinine.
On the contrary, treating rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease, requires patients to take other drugs, which may weaken the patient's resistance. During this period, we should pay more attention to hygiene and safety and prevent bacterial infections.