Treatments, lifestyle, aids… Throughout their journey, patients suffering from chronic inflammatory rheumatism may be faced with many questions. To answer this, Valérie Royant, head of the rheumatology department at Chartres hospital, will lead a conference on the theme “Living well with chronic inflammatory rheumatism”, Saturday June 3, on the occasion of an information day. on these diseases.
Who are the people most affected by inflammatory rheumatism?
There are different types of inflammatory rheumatism. Rheumatoid arthritis mainly affects women, with a peak frequency between 40 and 60 years old. Spondyloarthritis will mainly affect men and often young adults. Psoriatic arthritis can affect all age spectrums.
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What are the symptoms of these diseases?
Pain, which can cause night awakenings in particular, are the main symptoms that lead patients to consult. Joint swellings are the first warning signs. This is what allows us to launch the diagnostic investigation to try to determine what the type of inflammatory rheumatism is, in order to adapt the treatment in the most efficient way.
Spondyloarthritis, for example, mainly affects the spine, where there are many tendinous structures. This results in stiffness and pain in the spine.
How is the diagnosis made?
The diagnosis is primarily clinical. Then radiographic examinations will make it possible to specify whether there is a structural attack or not. Today, osteo-articular ultrasound is widely used. This examination has become practically unavoidable in rheumatology.
How does the tele-expertise counter initiated by the Chartres hospital work?
You can see all the non-bony structures like the synovium, which is the area involved in rheumatoid arthritis. This examination makes it possible to highlight signs of inflammation which testify to the activity of the disease.
Biological tests are also done to determine the presence of antibodies, as is the case in rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease.
Are there effective treatments for these diseases?
There are different types of treatments. There is symptomatic treatment of the crisis, with analgesics, anti-inflammatories or corticosteroids, when the patient is in pain.
Over the past twenty years, we have seen the arrival of biotherapies, which have revolutionized basic treatments for inflammatory rheumatism. These are drugs from clinical research that block inflammatory phenomena, improve functional prognosis and reduce pain.
Can these diseases be prevented?
It’s a bit difficult to prevent them, but we do know that there are genetic factors and environmental phenomena involved. Smoking is a predisposing factor for the onset of rheumatoid arthritis.
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What support do you offer to patients who suffer from chronic inflammatory rheumatism?
Therapeutic education allows patients to acquire the skills they will need to better manage their life and their chronic disease. They are taught to manage crisis situations. It is necessary to have a global approach in the management of the patient. There is a whole non-drug approach which is an important complement to medical treatment.
“Physical activity is something extremely important for joint mobility, maintaining flexibility, but also for reducing pain and even the symptoms of the disease. It also limits the cardiovascular risk, which is often greater in these patients.
Valerie Royant (head of the rheumatology department at Chartres hospital)
What is the objective of your conference?
This is a conference open to the general public. The objective is to give some keys to try to find ways to live better with inflammatory rheumatism, by better managing pain, fatigue or even diet. It is known that these patients often have an imbalanced gut microbiota. By acting on this component, we can have an impact on the evolution of the disease.
Convenient. Information day on chronic inflammatory rheumatism, Saturday June 3, from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Louis-Pasteur hospital (Le Palio room), 4 rue Claude-Bernard in Coudray. At 2:30 p.m., lecture by Valérie Royant, head of the rheumatology department.
Helen Bonnet
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