Palindromic rheumatism is a rheumatology disease that is characterized by joint pain attacks that occasionally come and go. The attacks do not have the potential to cause permanent damage to the joints and the joints stay normal before and after the attack.
What are the Symptoms?
The people affected show no symptoms before and after the attack. It is different from other types of rheumatoid diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, where the joint pain affects the people almost all the time.
How are the Attacks?
Attack usually begins at joints of the hand and makes the joints stiff and you can feel the pain in these joints. Attacks can last for a few days, once the attack is over, your tendons, and ligaments become normal. The attacks cannot cause any permanent damage to your joints. Some people can become fatigued after the attack and this fatigue may last a few days or even weeks.
What Causes Palindromic Rheumatism?
Palindromic rheumatism is an autoimmune disorder and the body’s immune system attacks its joints by mistake. This causes inflammation in the joints that swells up the joints and cause redness.
What are the Diagnosis Methods?
The field of rheumatology has been making several advancements in research to find the best cure for rheumatic diseases. One specific test cannot correctly diagnose palindromic rheumatism. So, the diagnosis will depend on your symptoms, blood tests results and scans. Diagnosis would be easier to a doctor if you can visit in person during the attacks.
Blood tests can be done to find out the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and the level of C-reactive protein. The tests that check for rheumatoid factor, anti-CCP (anti- cyclic citrullinated peptide) antibodies and anti-nuclear antibodies can also be of help in diagnosis.
Varying Effects on People
The effect of the disorder is different for different people. Some people will not feel any pain or inflammation in between the attacks. The frequency of attacks is also different in different people. Some people experience attacks once or twice in a month while in some people, attacks occur more than once in a week.
How to Manage your Attacks?
There are several things you can do, to ease your symptoms during an attack. When your pain is severe, make sure you rest your joints. Start out by doing gentle exercise after an attack. To ease the pain and swelling you can use ice or heat pads.
