Today, several methods of hardware cosmetology are used in aesthetic medicine.
One of the new techniques is pressotherapy.
It is also called pneumodrainage, barotherapy, hardware lymphatic drainage massage.
During this procedure, a massage is performed with compressed air, the effect is mainly on body fluids: lymph and blood.
Pressotherapy sessions are performed using a special apparatus and suit, which consists of separate sections and can be worn on the body, arms or legs.
The parts of this suit are similar to a blood pressure cuff. And the principle of influence is the same: injection of air, which presses on certain parts of the body or on its entire area.
So this suit is supplied with compressed air. The person simply lies on the couch; the procedure takes 30 minutes.
The air supply occurs from bottom to top using the so-called pulse wave, that is, intermittently. These breaks can vary in length: from a few seconds to two minutes.
The pressure level and pulse wave are controlled by a computer, so it is possible to fine-tune both the pressure force and the exposure time. The parameters are selected individually depending on the person’s condition and the goals of pressotherapy.
The procedure feels quite pleasant, it does not require any effort on the part of the patient and has a pronounced relaxing effect. After performing it, you feel a pleasant warmth throughout your body and your mood improves.
The most important quality of pressotherapy is its vasodilating effect, which is recognized as one of the best ways to combat cellulite.
Today, this procedure is often combined with body wrap and, according to statistics, after two to three sessions a significant effect appears - problem areas with cellulite are reduced by one to two centimeters.
The idea of pneumomassage is to activate cell receptors responsible for the breakdown of fat and to remove excess extracellular fluid from the body.
During rhythmic compression, a complex mechanical effect occurs.
It is as if liquid and harmful products are squeezed out of the body. From the intercellular space, cell waste products enter the lymph and are excreted.
The kidneys and skin (through sweating) also take part in the process of removing “waste” and harmful products. In this way, the intercellular fluid is cleansed.
With the help of pressotherapy the following are removed from the body:
Pneumatic drainage affects metabolic processes, accelerating them, normalizes the outflow of venous blood, and creates the opportunity to restore clean water reserves in the intercellular space.
This procedure is considered effective in the fight against cellulite, varicose veins, edema, and is also used to prevent all these phenomena.
Due to the activation of processes, the reduction of hypoxia in the tissues, the severity of the “orange peel” gradually becomes less, visible surface vessels disappear, volumes decrease, the skin becomes more elastic, smooth and attractive.
Specialists in hardware cosmetology methods claim that pressotherapy replaces traditional manual massage. Moreover, one procedure has the same effect as 10-20 sessions of regular manual massage.
It is recommended to perform pneumomassage 2-3 times a week. Usually the full course is 10-20 procedures. Their number is determined individually in each specific case. The positive effect is usually visible immediately. Lightness, decreased swelling, and a feeling that clothes have become looser appear after the first session. After the next two or three, the appearance of cellulite and vascular disorders will decrease.
Depending on what the patient needs and what he wants to receive as a result of completing the course, an individual program can be developed or one of the standard ones can be applied. It is customary to subdivide pressotherapy programs according to the areas of influence:
The most popular programs are for the legs, since it is in the legs that stagnation of blood and lymph most often occurs, because many people today have sedentary work or work with very little movement. In addition, during pregnancy and childbirth, the female body experiences enormous stress on the vascular system of the legs and needs help and rehabilitation.
Leg programs vary depending on the degree of congestion in this area, ranging from mild to severe problems. A slight correction of the movement of fluids or an intensive effect, including reducing the circumference of the legs and improving their shape, is possible.
Body programs are mainly aimed at eliminating cellulite and reducing volume. They also have a good effect after liposuction operations, when it is necessary to tighten the skin, give it elasticity, and improve the condition of the muscles.
Manufacturers of lymphatic drainage devices offer a new option for pressotherapy - an inexpensive and compact device that will allow you to carry out procedures at home.
The average price of such a device reaches about thirty thousand rubles. This option is convenient for bedridden patients and patients with sports injuries who find it difficult to move independently and visit the clinic every time.
Since the procedure affects the body, it is impossible to avoid side effects. Due to the mechanical action, traces in the form of slight bruising remain on the skin for some time. Therefore, when going for a pressotherapy procedure, it is better to wear clothes that will cover the areas that have been massaged.
Pneumomassage has a diuretic effect. Its manifestations are, in general, a good sign: the procedure works. If the need to run to the toilet one more time causes inconvenience at work, then you need to adjust the schedule for receiving procedures.
Despite the mild, gentle effect on the body, as with any procedure that has not only a cosmetic, but also a therapeutic effect, there are also contraindications for pressotherapy. These may be general prohibitions, such as:
You can often find information that pressotherapy is contraindicated only for malignant tumors, but most experts are inclined to believe that any tumor should be a contraindication. The fact is that the pneumatic massage procedure increases blood circulation and speeds up the metabolic process, that is, the body becomes more active.
The tumor is included in the general rhythm of life of the body; it also receives nutrition through the vessels, so any increase in blood circulation can affect the condition of the tumor. It is possible that its growth or the formation of new nodes will be provoked. This is especially true for uterine fibroids and fibrocystic mastopathy.
In addition, pneumomassage is contraindicated in the following cases:
This procedure is offered by beauty salons, medical centers, and aesthetic medicine clinics.
Before contacting a specific clinic, you should read customer reviews and compare prices.
You should not always give preference to the lowest of them, since cheapness may hide imperfect equipment or insufficient qualifications of specialists.
It’s also hardly reasonable to overpay for a luxurious setting in a massage room. Although for some it may be important. In Moscow, the price most often announced is for a course consisting of 10 procedures.
The cost of the pressotherapy procedure includes the cost of the device itself, as well as its maintenance and overhead costs. The higher the class and the better the technical capabilities of the device that a clinic or salon is equipped with, the more expensive it is, and this will most likely be reflected in the price of the procedures.
The quality of hardware lymphatic drainage depends on the number of protocols that the device can perform, the maximum possible pressure, and the number of independent sectors (sections of the suit).
In order to fully control the process, most pneumatic impact devices are equipped with a special display that displays the entire progress of the procedure being performed. For customer safety, the equipment must have damage control for pneumatic elements.
This point should be taken into account: most often this type of hardware massage is not prescribed in isolation. Usually it is only part of a complex of procedures and has a positive effect to a large extent in conjunction with other procedures. This can be mesotherapy, thalassotherapy, endermology.
If during the period of undergoing a set of procedures you do not forget about proper nutrition and a sufficient amount of exercise, the effect will be very noticeable, the body will be significantly cleansed, rejuvenated, healthier and stronger. As a physical activity, you can choose any activity, from regular walking to dance courses.
The effect of pressotherapy is noticeable after two to three sessions and cannot be replaced even by thirty sessions of manual massage.
After the first procedure, lightness appears in the legs, after the second, the problem areas begin to narrow, and after a while they disappear altogether.
Many Moscow clinics, medical centers, and beauty salons offer this procedure today. Each of the institutions is trying to attract clients.
Some do this at the expense of lower prices, others offer a set of procedures at once or purchase a subscription. Some centers and clinics “take advantage” of a comfortable environment, the presence of high-quality equipment or experienced specialists.
Several Moscow centers:
After watching the video, you can learn about the essence, process and effect of pressotherapy:
Reviews about pressotherapy are mostly positive, read for yourself:
My profession means several hours of hard work, when I sit in a forced position. After a course of pressotherapy, the headaches, which were due to overstrain of the neck muscles during work, went away.
I learned about pressotherapy from a flyer. I especially wanted to get the weight loss effect. However, I not only lost weight after completing the course, but in general, I feel younger.
I get very tired at work. Pressotherapy sessions restore strength and help you quickly feel rested.
Spasticity or spasticity is a movement disorder caused by increased muscle tone.
In a normal state, muscle tissue is elastic and flexion or extension of the limbs occurs without any difficulty. When muscle resistance is felt during flexion and extension, this indicates an increase in their tone.
According to patients, with spasticity there is a feeling of “stiffness” in the muscles.
The internal mechanism of spasticity is not fully understood; according to experts, this disorder occurs as a result of various disorders in the structures of the brain and spinal cord.
Externally, spasticity manifests itself as an increase in tone in muscle tissue, which increases significantly during muscle stretching.
In other words, spasticity provokes muscle resistance during passive movements. It is at the beginning of the movement that the muscle resistance is strongest, and when the speed of passive movements increases, the resistance force increases accordingly.
Muscle spasticity causes changes in muscles, tendons and joints such as fibrosis, atrophy or contracture. This leads to increased movement disorders.
The main cause of spasticity is an imbalance in the signals traveling from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles.
In addition, reasons may be:
If a patient has spasticity, the following factors can aggravate the situation:
Regardless of the severity of the disease, these factors can cause the condition to worsen.
Spasticity is often accompanied by the presence of spasms, which manifest themselves in involuntary contraction of one or a group of muscles. In some cases, spasms are accompanied by pain of varying intensity.
The occurrence of spasms can occur either as a result of exposure to any irritant or independently.
Spasticity can be mild or severe. In the first case, this condition is not a serious obstacle for the patient, and he is able to lead a normal life, whereas in severe cases the person is forced to move around in a wheelchair.
It should be noted that the severity of a condition such as muscle spasticity may change over time.
But there are cases of positive effects of spasticity. For example, patients with paresis (weakness) in the legs have the ability to stand independently precisely due to muscle spasm.
According to qualifications, three main types of spasticity can be distinguished:
Spasticity often occurs in patients who have had a stroke. In such cases, physiotherapy is ineffective, and the presence of spasms complicates the patient’s recovery.
The muscles are constantly toned, pathological changes begin to occur in them, and joints and tendons also suffer. In addition, contractures (deformations) occur, significantly aggravating the problem.
The development of spasticity does not occur immediately; as a rule, it occurs 2-3 months after a stroke, but the first signs can be noticeable to a specialist much earlier.
The shoulders, elbows, wrists and fingers are usually affected, while the lower body is affected by the hips, knees, ankles and toes. In this case, spasticity affects the flexor muscles in the upper extremities, and the extensors in the lower extremities.
In the absence of the necessary treatment, contractures appear in the joints and bones over several years.
Spasticity is a concomitant phenomenon of multiple sclerosis in most cases. It manifests itself as an unexpected contraction of a muscle group, occurring spontaneously or as a reaction to an irritant.
The severity of muscle spasms in patients with multiple sclerosis can vary, ranging from mild to severe, manifesting as severe and prolonged spasms. The shape of gravity can change over time.
In multiple sclerosis, spasticity occurs in the muscles of the limbs, and in rare cases affects the back muscles.
The severity of spasticity is assessed by points, the most common being the Ashworth scale. In accordance with it, the following degrees of violation are distinguished:
The main symptoms of muscle spasticity include:
In addition to the above, patients with sudden movements experience acute pain in the limbs.
During the diagnostic process, the specialist first of all studies the medical history, as well as what medications the patient is taking and whether any of the patient’s close relatives suffer from neurological disorders.
Spasticity is diagnosed using tests, the essence of which is to assess limb movements and muscle activity during active and passive movements.
When examining the patient, the specialist determines whether there is resistance to the limbs during passive flexion and extension. If resistance is present, this is a sign of spasticity, and increased ease of movement may be a sign of paresis.
With proper and timely treatment, spasticity can be completely removed. The goal of treatment is to improve the functionality of the limbs and relieve pain.
Treatment methods and medications are selected depending on the severity of the disease, what disorders caused it and how long the patient has been ill.
Treatment is carried out in several areas, namely:
Let's look at each method in detail.
As a rule, several drugs are prescribed, the action of which is aimed at relieving pain and relaxing muscles. Drug therapy is carried out using:
Short-acting anesthetic drugs are also used, for example Lidocaine or Novocaine.
In addition, muscle injections of botulinum toxin may be prescribed. The essence of the treatment is to interrupt the process of nerve transmission, thereby promoting muscle relaxation. The effect of the drug is long-term and lasts several months.
Physiotherapy methods include:
A set of exercises for each patient is selected individually, depending on the condition. It should be noted that exercise therapy is effective in combating spasticity after a stroke.
Massage methods can also be different; in some cases, a massage in the form of light stroking movements is necessary, while other cases require active kneading.
Acupuncture for spasticity has mostly a general effect; the impact of this method on the problem is not so great.
Electrophoresis is prescribed to stimulate muscles with thermal and electrical effects.
This method is used in severe cases, for example, if spasticity prevents walking. The essence of the surgical method is the introduction of Baclofen into the cerebrospinal fluid or the suppression of sensitive nerve roots.
In the absence of timely treatment, spasticity has a detrimental effect on the condition of the joints and tendons, provoking atrophy and other pathological changes, for example, the appearance of contractures.
As for the prognosis, it is individual in each case. The outcome depends on how much muscle tone is increased, the severity of the disease and other factors.
Spasticity leads to the appearance of contractures, which can significantly complicate the process of caring for the patient.
As a preventive measure, you should monitor the correct position of the patient’s head, arms and legs. For this purpose, special devices can be used, for example, splints and orthoses.
It is also recommended to change body position more often, and when performing various movements, monitor changes in muscle tone. If it worsens, you should immediately seek help from specialists.
Pathologies of the circulatory system lead in the entire structure of diseases, among the main causes of disability and mortality. This is facilitated by the prevalence and persistence of risk factors. Diseases do not always affect the heart and blood vessels at the same time; some of them develop in the veins and arteries. There are quite a few of them, but occlusion of the arteries of the lower extremities is the most dangerous.
Blockage of the arteries of the lower extremities leads to a cessation of oxygen and nutrients to the organs and tissues they supply. The popliteal and femoral arteries are most often affected The disease develops abruptly and unexpectedly.
The lumen of the vessel can be blocked by thrombi or emboli of various origins. The diameter of the artery, which becomes impassable, depends on their size.
In this case, tissue necrosis quickly develops in the area below the blockage of the artery.
The severity of the signs of pathology depends on the location of the occlusion and the functioning of the lateral - collateral blood flow through healthy vessels running parallel to the affected ones. They deliver nutrients and oxygen to ischemic tissues.
Blockage of the arteries is often complicated by gangrene , stroke , or heart attack , which lead the patient to disability or death.
It is impossible to understand what leg vascular occlusion is, to understand the severity of this disease, without knowing its etiology, clinical manifestations, and treatment methods. We must also take into account the importance of preventing this pathology.
More than 90 % of cases of blocked arteries in the legs have two main causes:
The etiology of the remaining cases is as follows:
Vascular occlusion is a disease for the development of which the presence of risk factors . Minimizing them reduces the possibility of obstruction. They are:
The effects of underlying causes and risk factors often take a long time to accumulate.
Important! Experts note the spread of leg vascular occlusion among young people, many of whom sit in front of computers and gadget monitors. Therefore, when the first signs of occlusion occur, regardless of age category, you must immediately consult a doctor.
Blockage of the arteries can occur in any part of the lower limb; various diameters of the vessels overlap. In accordance with this, there are different types of occlusions:
According to the etiological factors that provoked the appearance and development of the disease, occlusions are divided into the following types:
Obstruction of the blood vessels of the legs occurs in two forms:
Acute occlusion occurs when an artery is blocked by a blood clot. Develops suddenly and quickly. The chronic disease proceeds slowly ; manifestations depend on the accumulation of cholesterol plaques on the vessel wall and a decrease in its lumen.
The first sign of obstruction of the leg arteries is the symptom of intermittent claudication . Intense walking begins to cause pain in the limb, the person, sparing the leg, limps. After a short rest, the pain disappears. But as the pathology develops, pain appears from minor loads on the limb, lameness intensifies, and long rest is necessary.
Over time, 5 main symptoms appear:
It is important to know that a few hours after the appearance of characteristic signs of blockage, tissue necrosis begins at the site of vessel occlusion, and gangrene may develop.
These processes are irreversible , so untimely treatment will lead to amputation of the limb and disability of the patient.
If signs of intermittent claudication or at least one main occlusive symptom appear, this is a reason to urgently consult a doctor.
The phlebologist conducts the necessary studies to confirm the diagnosis. After this, he prescribes treatment. In the initial stages of the disease, it is conservative and carried out at home. Drug therapy used:
Anticoagulant effect Heparin ointment is used for local treatment of occlusion. Vitamin complexes are prescribed. Physiotherapy is used.
Electrophoresis accelerates and ensures maximum penetration of drugs to the site of arterial damage.
Magnetotherapy relieves pain, improves blood circulation, and increases blood saturation with oxygen.
In case of severe development of occlusion and ineffective drug therapy, surgical treatment is used:
When gangrene develops, partial or complete amputation of the limb is performed.
Following simple prevention rules significantly reduces the risk of developing the disease:
Blockage of the arteries of the lower extremities in most cases develops over a long period of time, so early symptoms appear in the initial stages of the disease. They signal problems with blood vessels. You must not miss this moment and visit a specialist . This is the only way to correctly determine the cause of vascular occlusion, eliminate it, stop the development of pathology, and have a favorable prognosis for recovery.
Edema is a kind of indicator of disease, since it occurs only when various physiological processes in the body are disrupted.
There is probably no person who has not at least once experienced what swelling is. A large number of predisposing factors could provoke swelling, but the mechanism of development of this pathological phenomenon is always the same.
Edema is a pathological retention of fluid in the body, as well as a redistribution of sodium chloride. In order for edema to occur, the following conditions are necessary.
Under normal conditions, fluid pressure in the tissues is less than in the arterial part of the capillaries, but greater than in the venous part. It is this balance that promotes the normal penetration of oxygen-rich blood into the tissues and the return of oxygen-free blood to the venous bed. If there is an increase in pressure in the arterial part, then fluid quickly accumulates in the tissue, causing swelling.
Fluid retention in the body in this scenario occurs quite rarely. This is due to an increase in the total volume of fluid in the body. For example, with excessive intravenous infusion. In this case, swelling of the entire body develops.
If the membranes of the cells that form the vascular wall allow more fluid to pass through, tissue swelling will develop. The following factors can cause an increase in permeability:
Edema, the causes of which are associated with the membrane factor, occurs in cases of poisoning, metabolic disorders (diabetes mellitus), infectious diseases, and gestosis. More often, this type of swelling affects the area of the calf muscle, feet, neck, face, and arms.
Osmotic pressure is the pressure that forces fluid to move to where more electrolytes are dissolved. When this mechanism is disrupted, edema of the entire body develops.
Oncotic pressure is responsible for moving water to where there are more high molecular weight products. This means that fluid from the vessels will rush into the tissue when there are more high-molecular substances (proteins) in its intercellular space than in the blood. Such conditions are characteristic of protein starvation. This type of development is characterized by swelling of the lower part of the calf muscle, foot, hands, and cheeks.
When the network of lymphatic vessels or nodes is compressed or damaged, fluid escapes into the tissue, causing swelling; this can occur after trauma to the nodes, compression by a tumor, or metastasis to the nodes. When this happens, swelling of the soft tissues of the limb whose lymph nodes or vessels are damaged develops.
This process is typical for tissues that have lost a large amount of collagen, have increased hyaluronidase activity and increased structure friability. This occurs with inflammatory diseases and toxic effects on the body.
Depending on the main pathological process that acted as the cause of edema, several types can be distinguished. Main types of edema:
Depending on the cause of the swelling, appropriate treatment is necessary. But therapy for edema of any origin has some common points. Treatment should include:
But with any swelling, a person must follow basic rules:
All medications have certain indications and contraindications, so not every case of edema should be accompanied by the use of all these drugs. Treatment for each person must be individualized.
Ultrasound scanning of the vessels of the lower extremities is prescribed to identify pathologies of blood flow in the vessels of the legs: arteries and veins. The main objective of the method is to determine the speed and direction of blood flow.
Ultrasound ultrasound has such advantages over other methods as information content, safety, the ability to be repeated several times, accessibility and relatively low cost. Indications for ultrasound examination are determined after an appointment with a phlebologist.
Ultrasound dopplerography of the veins and arteries of the lower extremities is based on the physical Doppler effect: that is why the second name of the research method is ultrasound Dopplerography of blood vessels.
The device records the change in signal frequency, processes it digitally, and the doctor makes a conclusion whether the blood flow speed in a certain place of this vessel corresponds to normal parameters or whether there are any deviations. Doppler ultrasound is an objective, highly detailed, harmless, painless method for examining the condition of blood vessels.
Doppler ultrasound examines the iliac and inferior vena cava, femoral, small and large saphenous, deep veins of the leg and popliteal veins. The deep veins of the same name accompany the arteries of the same name.
When determining blood clots in deep veins, you can find out the following properties:
Dopplerography is performed to diagnose common pathologies - varicose veins, atherosclerosis of leg vessels, thrombophlebitis, deep vein thrombosis and other vascular diseases.
Dopplerography of the lower extremities will help determine the type of treatment at this stage of the disease, and if there are indications for surgical treatment, perform preoperative marking of the veins.
Unlike ultrasound, such highly informative research methods as MRI and computed tomography cannot assess blood flow velocity .
It is necessary to conduct an examination if there are complaints of pain in the legs when walking, “numbness”, “coldness” of the extremities . The earlier the pathology is diagnosed and treatment is prescribed, the better the prognosis for full recovery.
Doppler ultrasound of the leg vessels is prescribed if:
Ultrasound ultrasound is also prescribed for patients with diabetes mellitus and other chronic diseases .
Due to the absence of contraindications to this procedure, it can be performed repeatedly to determine the dynamics of therapy.
The most common indications for ultrasound examination are complaints of:
Through research you can find out:
During the research process the following may be identified:
Take with you, if available, a referral from your doctor and, if available, the results of other tests. On the day of the examination, you should not drink stimulating drinks : alcohol, coffee, energy drinks, tea, you should not smoke for 2 hours before the examination, you should not take medications.
It is necessary to remove clothing from the area being examined and lie on your back on a couch near the ultrasound scanner. The doctor will apply a contact gel to the skin, which improves the transmission of ultrasound waves. The doctor uses a sensor to take measurements at control points that correspond to the projection of the vessels being examined.
Examination of the small saphenous and popliteal veins is carried out by asking the patient to stand or roll over onto his stomach.
Images of the areas under study are recorded on the monitor. It is possible that after the examination while lying down, the doctor will conduct the examination while standing. In some cases, measurements are taken on the right and left legs to compare blood flow rates for more in-depth information.
The study is equally informative for both large and small vessels, and for arterial and venous circulation.
The examination takes up to one hour, is absolutely painless and does not cause any discomfort. After the procedure is completed, the patient stands up and wipes off the gel. After 15 minutes, the results of the study will be compiled and handed out.
The assessment of the venous bed does not have numerical values . The sonologist analyzes the patency of the veins, the condition of the venous valves, the topography of the segment where the pathology was detected and the degree of blood flow disturbance.
Arterial blood flow has several parameters:
Thus, based on the study, the doctor can see how the veins and arteries are located, the degree of vascular patency, and the length of narrow segments.
The result of this study is a medical report on the uniformity of blood flow , the nature of its change, which occurs due to narrowing, and sometimes even blockage of the lumen, which can occur due to an atherosclerotic plaque or blood clot.
The compensatory capabilities of blood flow and pathologies of vascular structure are analyzed:
This video lecture tells more about the necessary equipment and deciphering the indicators (intended for specialists):
Dopplerography of the vessels of the legs can be divided into ultrasound scanning of only arteries or arteries and veins. In the first case, the cost of the examination will be lower and average 3,500 rubles . In the second case, the cost of the examination will start from 5,500 rubles.
Successful diagnosis of vascular diseases of the legs is possible only through the use of innovative equipment and careful examination by experienced specialists. After the examination is completed, the phlebologist decides on the need for further diagnostics : phlebography, duplex scanning, CT phlebography, phlebscintiography, etc.
Rheumatism is a complex disease of a systemic nature, characterized by an inflammatory process mainly in the connective tissues of the heart and blood vessels. The disease can spread to joints and other organs. The cause of its occurrence is an infection, the causative agent is group A hemolytic streptococcus.
The characteristic signs of acute rheumatism are most often found in children and adolescents with a genetic predisposition to this disease, aged 7 to 15 years. Geography in this case does not matter - the disease has been recorded on all continents of the globe.
But there has been a direct connection between the frequency of rheumatism among children and the socio-economic level of the country in which they live. In underdeveloped and developing countries, children suffer from this disease much more often than in developed ones. Per thousand of the child population here, the disease is recorded in 6-22 children and adolescents.
At the same time, the course of childhood rheumatism is usually severe, more rapid than in adults, with pronounced symptoms and a tendency to develop heart defects, pulmonary hypertension and a high mortality rate due to serious cardiac dysfunction. This phenomenon is due to unsatisfactory social living conditions for schoolchildren, poor nutrition and poor quality medical care.
Important: treatment of the disease is always long-term, sometimes it takes several years to finally get rid of its symptoms and prevent relapse.
Therefore, the conditions in which the patient is treated and lives, especially in childhood, play an important role.
In recent years, rheumatism of the joints and other organs has been carefully studied by doctors. Two main forms of the disease have been identified: active and inactive.
1st degree of rheumatism
With this form, the symptoms are very mild; only an ECG and FCT can reveal some signs of carditis. The rest of the laboratory parameters are either within normal limits or slightly changed.
2nd degree of rheumatism
Symptoms of carditis are moderate and are accompanied by an increase in low-grade fever, volatile polyarthralgia, chorea, and monooligoarthritis. Inflammatory activity is only slightly changed.
3rd degree of rheumatism
Signs of inflammatory activity are very pronounced according to the results of clinical and laboratory examinations. Migratory polyarthritis of the knee, elbow or hip joints, pneumonia, carditis, serositis, and high levels of streptococcal immunity and protein are diagnosed.
The 3rd degree of activity indicates that the disease is at an initial stage or has worsened. The 2nd and 1st degrees can occur both at the onset of the disease and during intensive treatment.
Laboratory tests are carried out repeatedly to identify the dynamics of the disease.
Based on the degree of activity, the doctor can get an accurate picture of the patient’s condition and determine how effective the chosen therapy is, how long it has been carried out and how to treat rheumatism of the joints further.
To understand what rheumatism is, you need to know the reasons that cause its development. The causative agent is a streptococcal infection, as stated, namely group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus. In patients with a history of rheumatism of the arms, legs or heart, a blood test reveals high levels of immune anti-streptococcal antibodies.
We can say that an acute streptococcal infection in the nasopharynx or throat can trigger the development of rheumatism. Up to 3% of patients who have suffered from severe purulent tonsillitis, tonsillitis or pharyngitis subsequently suffer from rheumatism.
There may be symptoms of rheumatism of the joints or other organs, but rheumatism of the heart is most often diagnosed. The disease develops according to the following stages of the inflammatory process:
It has been proven that the disease can occur due to hereditary predisposition. Scientists have found that in some patients who had a streptococcal infection, the immune system began to react sharply to immune antibodies. This is a tendency to rheumatism, and it can be inherited.
Important information: those at risk are those people whose relatives suffer from rheumatism of the hands, knee or hip joints, heart or skin. These could be cousins, siblings, grandparents, not just parents.
There are other interesting data: according to studies of genetic markers, most often the disease appears in adults and children with blood groups 2 or 3.
The disease usually affects several organs, very rarely just one; this can be taken as the main signs of rheumatism. But first of all, the heart always suffers - the doctor diagnoses rheumatism of the connective cardiac tissues (myocardium) in 90% of all cases of the disease.
In adults and elderly patients, rheumatism of the joints of the legs or arms often develops, and the skin is affected. The pain can be of varying intensity and nature, which is why tests for rheumatism are so important.
The doctor discovers characteristic symptoms several weeks after the patient has suffered an acute streptococcal infectious disease. These include:
In 25% of cases, rheumatism of the joints is observed, the symptoms in this case are similar to those of polyarthritis: redness of the skin in the affected areas, swelling and swelling of the knee, elbow or hip joints, severe pain. The treatment prescription here is selected accordingly and should eliminate pain.
Sometimes, most often in adults, the doctor may detect vasculitis, an inflammation of the small vessels of the brain. This side effect is typical for rheumatism lesions of the nervous system.
The patient suffers from rheumatic chorea: he shows restlessness and fussiness, makes grimaces, is unable to control the movements of his arms and legs and coherently express his thoughts. This requires a comprehensive prescription of therapy.
Skin rheumatism manifests itself in the form of skin erythema, and rheumatic nodules may form. Erythema most often appears on the lower extremities in the form of pale pink rings. Rheumatic nodules are localized between the fingers of the hands, their structure is dense, and the rash is completely painless to the touch (see photo).
This form of the disease can be treated successfully at home; a recipe for such treatment has long existed.
Drug therapy for rheumatism is aimed at neutralizing the main causative agent of the disease – streptococcal infection. It can be cured with penicillin preparations - a more effective recipe does not exist today. The doctor prescribes penicillin antibiotics if the disease is in the initial or acute stage. The therapy recipe has been used for a long time.
In the future, treatment of rheumatism in the joints of the arms, back, and legs continues with long-acting antibiotics; the prescription involves the use of bicillin-3 or bicillin-5. In case of intolerance to antibiotics of the penicillin group, therapy with erythromycin is prescribed. These drugs do not relieve pain, so the doctor always prescribes a course of additional medications, the prescription of which also contains painkillers.
Regardless of whether rheumatism of the legs, arms or heart is diagnosed, anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. Usually the prescription indicates that these are non-steroidal drugs - indomethacin, aspirin, voltaren, diclofenac. The doctor selects the optimal treatment depending on the patient’s age and physiological characteristics. A prescription is not required to purchase these medications from a pharmacy.
Any of them stops the inflammatory process and relieves severe pain. If the pain in the arms, legs, and back does not subside, the disease is treated with steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The most common is prednisolone.
The treatment must be supervised by a doctor, the duration of the course is no more than one and a half months, the prescription of therapy is also under control.
Prevention of rheumatism is as important as the treatment itself. Doctors distinguish between primary and secondary prevention.
Methods of treatment and prevention are always determined only by the doctor, and he will decide whether the measures can be carried out at home, or whether the patient needs to be admitted to a hospital.
The disease is most dangerous due to its negative impact on the heart. It is heart failure that most often causes death.
Depending on which membranes are affected, atrial fibrillation, myocardiosclerosis, and circulatory failure may develop.
If endocarditis is affected during the development of the disease, heart disease will develop. With this course of the disease and diagnosis, the probability of death is very high.
Another danger is frequent thromboembolism of large arteries that occurs after rheumatism. An infarction of the lungs, liver, spleen, or heart can also lead to the death of the patient.
How successful the treatment will be largely depends on the timeliness of diagnosis. If therapy with the right antibiotic is started at the right time, the chances of cure are very good. But it is important that the medicine is taken precisely in the acute stage, when a heart defect forms.
Most often, children and adolescents suffer from heart complications. In adult patients, articular or cutaneous rheumatism is more common, which are not so dangerous and do not pose a direct threat to the patient’s life.
The fewer relapses in the patient’s history, the more favorable the prognosis. For this reason, preventive measures must be taken very seriously. Thanks to the use of various techniques and drugs, today the mortality rate from the disease has been significantly reduced.
Less than a hundred years ago, about 30% of adult and pediatric patients died due to rheumatism and its complications. Today this figure has been reduced to 4%.