At present, we are in an era that has a special emphasis on medicine, to be more specific, rheumatology. In this article, let us find answers to questions like – what is rheumatology? and who is a rheumatologist? etc.
What Is Rheumatology?
Rheumatology is the amplitude of pediatrics and medicine that particularly treats joints, autoimmune diseases, soft tissues, and related tissue disorders. The specialist who deals with the diagnosis, therapy as well as treatment of this disease is often called a rheumatologist.
Who Is A Rheumatologist?
A specialist who is responsible for diagnosing as well as treating medical conditions like systemic autoimmune diseases and musculoskeletal conditions is known as a rheumatologist. It may be noted that a rheumatologist never performs surgery on his patients. Instead, rheumatologists are keener on investigating the underlying causes of this disease. Furthermore, he also conducts detailed research to make better treatment options available to the patients suffering from this health condition.
What Health Conditions Are Treated By A Rheumatologist?
Rheumatic diseases are conditions that result in excessive inflammation and threatens auto-immunity in patients. To date, several types of rheumatic diseases have been discovered by the doctors, each of which can be effectively treated with the help of an efficient rheumatologist. These are listed as under:
- Arthritis
- Gout
- Lyme disease
- Polychondritis
- Polymyalgia rheumatica
- Sjogren’s syndrome
- Dermatomyositis
- Lupus erythematosus
- Mixed connective tissue disease
- Polymyositis
- Sarcoidosis
An ideal rheumatologist can also formulate an effective treatment plan to treat the following health conditions related to soft tissue diseases: fibromyalgia, tennis elbow, lower back pain, and olecranon bursitis. Furthermore, he can also draft a treatment plan for diseases that are a threat to the bones, such as fluorosis, osteomalacia, rickets, osteoporosis, and renal osteodystrophy. Additionally, a rheumatologist takes a special interest in researching certain genetic disorders that cause mayhem in the joints. A few of such medical conditions are achondroplasia, hyperextensible joints, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and Marfan syndrome.
How Can These Rheumatic Conditions Be Treated?
The strategies used by rheumatologists in treating the patients suffering from rheumatic diseases are plenty. They range from administering over the counter drugs to suggesting certain therapies to the patients, and in certain cases, they may even resort to surgeries. In the case of administering patients with drugs, there are options like anti-inflammatory drugs, antidepressants, and opiates to choose from.
The recent advancements made in the field of genealogy and immunology of these diseases has led to growth in the department of rheumatology. Therefore, we can expect a positive outcome in the years to come.