Rheumatism is a common disease that affects people both young and old Indonesian. This disease attacks the joints and supporting structures in the tissue around the joints that can cause pain. In severe levels, arthritis can even cause permanent disability, disability and decreased quality of life.
In society, still evolving myths and wrong assumptions about the disease. Though these myths are misleading if examined from the medical side and is not likely to harm the patient.
Internist and rheumatologist at the Faculty of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Indonesia (Faculty of medicine), Dr. Bambang Setyohadi, explains some of the myths and facts about rheumatic disease. Here are the myths and explanations:
1. Often shower the night at a young age trigger arthritis in old age.
In fact, so far there has been no evidence to corroborate that night shower will cause rheumatic disease. In principle, evening bath or a cold shower does not cause arthritis. “In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, cold shower can indeed 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. “Even if that should be avoided, if you are destined to develop arthritis is a purine foods that can trigger or material will be converted into uric acid like organ meats, seafood or alcoholic beverages,” said Bambang.
3. All rheumatic diseases caused gout.
“In fact, only about 10 percent of people with high uric acid arthritis. Lot of high uric acid patients are actually not experiencing arthritis,” said Bambang. According to him, uric acid in the blood are high will not necessarily lead to arthritis. “Rheumatic fever will occur when uric acid collects in the joints and form deposits of monosodium urate crystals. Disease,” he explained.
4. Rheumatic disease is a disease of bone.
The fact arthritis is a disease that attacks the joints and bones consist of various types of which are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis most commonly affects the large joints that support weight loss such as knee joints, hip, spine, back and neck, although it is possible to attack other areas. While rheumatoid artiritis because the immune system attacks the synovial membrane lining the joints 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 rheumatic disease. On the type of osteoarthritis arthritis primarily affects people aged over 45 years while the type of Lupus Erythematosus attacking young women of childbearing age but can also be about each person. The men are more prone 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 to be risk factors for family factors such as the occurrence of arthritis Rheumatoid Arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Gout,” said Dr. Bambang.
7. Bone pain at night is a sign of arthritis symptoms.
In fact, the symptoms that commonly occur in patients with rheumatoid arthritis are stiffness and inflammation of the joints (red, swollen, painful, hot and generally difficult to move). This phenomenon is not limited to the evening. Could be attacked at any time.