Читать книгу Arthritis For Dummies - Barry Fox - Страница 26

In these conditions, arthritis may appear, but is a minor part of the syndrome.

 Bursitis and tendonitis: Caused by overusing or injuring a joint, bursitis is the inflammation of the fibrous sac that cushions the tendons. Tendonitis is the irritation of the tendons, which attach the muscles to the bones.

 Paget’s disease: With Paget’s disease, the breakdown and rebuilding of bone speeds up. The resulting bone is larger but also softer and weaker, making it more likely to fracture. These weakened and deformed bones cause arthritis to develop in their respective joints, which typically include those of the hip, skull, spine, knee, and ankle. The cause is unknown.

 Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR): With this condition, severe stiffness can suddenly strike in the lower back, hips, shoulders, and neck, making it difficult even to get out of bed. The pain is similar to that of RA, often without evidence of any active arthritis. PMR can occur by itself or together with a life-threatening inflammation of the blood vessels called giant cell arteritis (GCA). Symptoms of GCA can occur before, after, or at the same time as PMR, and include headaches, scalp tenderness, hearing problems, vision loss or changes, and tongue or jaw pain after prolonged chewing.HYPERSENSITIVE FINGERS AND TOESPrompted by arterial blood vessel spasm, Raynaud’s phenomenon is a condition that can make the fingers, toes, nose, or nipples extremely sensitive to cold and to emotional upsets, turning them blue/violet or white in color. It sometimes occurs in conjunction with (or as a result of) other arthritis-related conditions including lupus, scleroderma, RA, and myositis, but can also be caused by repetitive trauma or injuries to the nerves of the hands or feet, smoking, certain medications, or chemical exposure. Typical attacks of Raynaud’s phenomenon include tingling, numbness and whitening of the fingers (without affecting the thumb), and pain or redness when blood circulation returns.There's no single blood test for Raynaud's: most doctors diagnose the disease based on signs and symptoms. Treatment generally involves wearing gloves, socks, and hats to maintain total body warmth, and avoiding workplace triggers, such as vibrating tools, freezers, and exposure to air conditioning vents. In severe cases of Raynaud’s, doctors prescribe medication to dilate the blood vessels. See Chapter 5 for more on Raynaud’s phenomenon.

 Sjögren’ssyndrome: Another autoimmune disease, Sjögren’s syndrome (usually referred to simply as Sjögren’s) causes inflammation of the tear glands and saliva glands, leading to dryness of the eyes and mouth, hazy vision, cracks at the corners of the mouth, and cavities. Inflammation of the brain, nerves, thyroid, lungs, skin, liver, kidneys, and, of course, the joints may also be present.