Rheumatic disease is not only characterized by pain, swelling, or a sense of stiffness. It turns out people with rheumatism are at high risk of infection, one of them is the flu. How can flu be related to rheumatic severity? Check out the answer here.
A glimpse of rheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatoid arthritis is the most common autoimmune disease in the community. This disease can be described as an overactive but misdirected immune system, which is against your own body, not a foreign substance from outside your body that might threaten health.
Rheumatism invades synovial tissue (the lining that surrounds the joints) and connective tissue. In addition, the disease can also affect the lungs, heart, kidneys, and eyes.
Here are some signs and symptoms of rheumatic diseases:
- Pain in some joints
- Stiffness in some joints
- Swelling of joints
- The same symptoms on both sides of the body (in both hands or both knees)
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Lack and fatigue
- The relationship between flu and rheumatism
Rheumatic patients are twice as likely to be infected as flu and pneumonia compared with people in general. Since rheumatism is associated with a disruption of the immune system, it is also associated with a decrease in the number of white blood cells, especially when the patient is taking immunosuppressive drugs for his rheumatoid arthritis.
That is, your body has a weaker protection against infectious diseases, ranging from flu to more serious infections such as tuberculosis (TB).
When people who have rheumatism are exposed to the flu, the immune system can not work properly and it is against your own body. Your immune system starts producing antibodies that will attack and destroy healthy cells in your body. The more severe the flu disease occurs, the higher the autoimmune activity in your body and aggravate the symptoms of rheumatism such as joint pain.
Various ways to prevent the flu for people who have rheumatism
If you have flu, the most powerful treatment is adequate rest. However, these four easy ways you can do in an effort to avoid the flu.
Washing hands
This is useful to avoid transferring germs from hand to nose, mouth, or your eyes. According to a study published in Clinical Infectious Disease, washing hands with soap can remove influenza virus. Always wash your hands before you prepare food, after toilets, coughing, or sneezing.
Keep your diet
Choose foods that contain protein such as fish, chicken, and red meat. Add also anti-inflammatory materials such as garlic, ginger, and turmeric to protect and strengthen your immune system.
Discuss with your doctor whether you need to take certain vitamin supplements to boost immunity, especially in flu season.
Regular exercise
Experiencing joint pain can indeed complicate your physical activity. However, exercise is important to prevent flu, fever, and other infections. In fact, 20-30 minutes on foot each day can increase the immunity to cells infected with rheumatism.
Consult a doctor
When you start experiencing symptoms of fever or chills, it's a sign of an infection in the body. You should monitor the signs of infection on your body regularly with follow-up consultation to the doctor.
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