6 Symptom of Rheumatism in Women to Watch Out for

Jakarta –

Symptoms of rheumatism are generally characterized by inflammation and pain in the joints. However, apart from these two signs, there are still a number of other rheumatic symptoms that need to be watched out for.

Rheumatism or rheumatoid arthritis is a condition caused by autoimmune disease, namely when the body’s immune system attacks healthy cells in the body. In rheumatism, the body’s immune system attacks the cells in the joints. Usually rheumatism most often occurs in the ankles, hands and knees.

Quoted from the website of the Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), rheumatism most often attacks women aged 40-60 years, and usually occurs symmetrically in the same joints on both sides of the body. Sometimes, rheumatic pain is often mistaken for a sign of aging and is therefore ignored.

But apart from pain, there are other symptoms of rheumatism that women also need to be aware of. Anything?

1. Stiff Joints

Stiffness in the joints is one of the symptoms of rheumatism that often appears besides pain. A feeling of stiffness can appear when you wake up in the morning, or when you sit for a moment.

This stiffness can occur in one part or the entire joint. If left untreated, this condition can affect the ligaments and tendons, making them difficult to bend or straighten.

2. Swelling in the Legs

Symptoms of rheumatism can also include swelling in the legs. The swelling is caused by inflammation which increases the production of synovial fluid in the foot joints.

Synovial fluid functions as a lubricant and cushion in the joint area to make body movement easier. But if the amount is excessive, it can cause swelling of the leg joints.

3. Tingling

Inflammation due to rheumatism can also cause tingling. This occurs when arthritis begins to affect the surrounding blood vessels and nerves. Even though arthritis occurs in the feet, the tingling feeling caused by rheumatism can spread to the calves.

4. Fatigue

As previously explained, rheumatism is caused by the activity of the immune system which attacks healthy cells in the joints, resulting in inflammation. The body experiences quite a lot of pressure when fighting this inflammation. The body’s response to inflammation is what then causes feelings of fatigue.

5. Dry mouth

Dry mouth is a common condition that can occur in everyone. But dry mouth doesn’t go away even after drinking, so this could be a sign of rheumatism.

This condition is also called xerostomia. Xerostomia occurs when the salivary glands are unable to produce saliva to keep the mouth wet. This condition can make the lips and skin around the mouth dry and cracked, and make it difficult to speak or swallow.

6. Depression

Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, people who suffer from rheumatism are also at high risk of experiencing depression. Although researchers have not found a clear connection between the two, depression that is not treated immediately can worsen rheumatic symptoms, such as:

• Increases pain
• Increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attack
• Reduces productivity while working
• Sexual dysfunction

Although the exact relationship between depression and rheumatism is not yet known, these two conditions often appear simultaneously so you need to be careful.

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2023-12-25 14:00:47
#pain #symptoms #rheumatism #women #watch