Beijing reader Ms. Wang asks: I am 47 years old and since last August, my wrist, knee and ankle joints have been ringing when I move for some reason. Why is this? Is it a sign of rheumatoid or arthritis? What do I need to pay attention to in my life?
Hello: There are many different types of arthritis, and the most common type of arthritis that middle-aged women are prone to is osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a common type of arthritis in middle-aged and elderly people, the main lesion is the degeneration of joint cartilage and secondary osteophytic changes, the lesion is mostly in the distal finger joints of both hands, and the weight-bearing joints of the body, such as both knees, both hips, people with obesity and joint activity, early symptoms are mild, can show slight discomfort in the joints, get up or squat, joint pain and joint ringing when going down the stairs. With the further development of the disease, osteophytic painful nodules may appear on the appearance of the diseased joint, accompanied by morning stiffness of the joint, the morning stiffness time does not exceed half an hour, if the disease is not treated in time, with the further development of the disease, cartilage damage further aggravated, there will be joint effusion, destruction of subchondral bone, and finally the formation of joint This period is often not effective through simple medical treatment, but also requires surgical arthroscopy and surgical treatment, joint ankylosis affects the function of the joint often requires joint replacement to live a normal life. Rheumatoid arthritis is an arthritis that is less common than osteoarthritis and affects middle-aged and older women. The basic lesion of the disease is synovitis, and the affected joints are mostly the proximal interphalangeal joints of both hands. Rheumatoid arthritis is very destructive to the joints and is a disabling arthritis, and the disease can also invade important organs, such as interstitial lung disease secondary to rheumatoid, rheumatoid arthritis-related cardiovascular lesions, etc. If the initial onset of rheumatoid arthritis does not go through formal treatment within 2 years of the joint disability rate is very high, but if the regular active treatment, the disease can often be satisfactorily controlled, generally can maintain the integrity and functionality of the joint, reduce the involvement of important organs. The most important thing is that you have a good chance of getting the best out of your osteoarthritis, which is a common disease that does not invade the internal organs and has a good prognosis for early treatment. The osteoarthritis life is recommended to combine work and rest, if the body type is obese, it is recommended to lose weight, reduce excessive strain on the weight-bearing joints, exercise can choose to pull-ups or swimming to reduce the weight on both knees and hips, so that the weight-bearing joints get rest. I wish you a speedy recovery. Li Xuemei, Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University