As a big group of diseases, lumped as one in common knowledge as "rheumatism" - no, arthritis do not kill. Surely, it can mame and relegate the arthritic to a life of pain, but in the lay mind's mind, nobody dies of arthritis.
However, there are arthritides that can cost a life. Mostly, these are the untreated, undiagnosed ones, albeit, rare, still, a fact that one should be vigilant about. The key to avoiding the fatal effects of some rheumatic diseases is early diagnosis and treatment.
Here is a short list of serious types of rheumatic diseases that may directly cause death if left untreated for long:
1. Uncontrolled/untreated lupus
nephritis or kidney inflammation
lupus lung hemorrhage
lupus blood disorders
lupus brain inflammation
2. Lung and brain hemorrhage of Bechet's syndrome
3. Vasculitis or inflammation of blood vessels especially those in the heart, lungs and brain
4. Blood clots in the lungs in hypercoagulable conditions like APS (antiphospholipid antibody syndrome), and catastrophic APS when many other organs of the body are involved
5. Progressive systemic sclerosis (generalized form of Scleroderma) and CREST syndrome with their associated pulmonary hypertension
List of complications of arthritis and/or treatment that have proven fatal in the long run:
1. kidney disease of gout
2. Stomach and intestinal bleeding due to unsupervised intake of pain medicines
3. Kidney disease from unsupervised intake of pain medicines
4. Presence of other diseases in the arthritic individual, like diabetes, infections anywhere in the body, heart failure, liver disease, high blood pressure
5. Intake of alternative medicines that can have kidney and liver side effects
It is therefore prudent advise to see a rheumatologist early in a disease with symptoms of joint swelling and pain.
However, there are arthritides that can cost a life. Mostly, these are the untreated, undiagnosed ones, albeit, rare, still, a fact that one should be vigilant about. The key to avoiding the fatal effects of some rheumatic diseases is early diagnosis and treatment.
Here is a short list of serious types of rheumatic diseases that may directly cause death if left untreated for long:
1. Uncontrolled/untreated lupus
nephritis or kidney inflammation
lupus lung hemorrhage
lupus blood disorders
lupus brain inflammation
2. Lung and brain hemorrhage of Bechet's syndrome
3. Vasculitis or inflammation of blood vessels especially those in the heart, lungs and brain
4. Blood clots in the lungs in hypercoagulable conditions like APS (antiphospholipid antibody syndrome), and catastrophic APS when many other organs of the body are involved
5. Progressive systemic sclerosis (generalized form of Scleroderma) and CREST syndrome with their associated pulmonary hypertension
List of complications of arthritis and/or treatment that have proven fatal in the long run:
1. kidney disease of gout
2. Stomach and intestinal bleeding due to unsupervised intake of pain medicines
3. Kidney disease from unsupervised intake of pain medicines
4. Presence of other diseases in the arthritic individual, like diabetes, infections anywhere in the body, heart failure, liver disease, high blood pressure
5. Intake of alternative medicines that can have kidney and liver side effects
It is therefore prudent advise to see a rheumatologist early in a disease with symptoms of joint swelling and pain.
No comments:
Post a Comment