Insidious Streptococcus and Rheumatism

Thymus performs several functions at once. First, in the thymus, lymphocytes are produced and then spread through the body. Secondly, the thymus gland controls the immunological specificity of lymphocytes, the ability to produce only a certain type of antibodies, destroying those of them that act against their own proteins of the body. Thus, with the penetration of streptococcus into the body, the latter begins to produce antibodies. But due to the fact that the antigenic structure of the microbe is similar to the antigenic structure of the heart muscle, antibodies, on the one hand, destroy an insufficient number of microbes, and consequently, streptococcus exists for a long time in the body. And on the other hand, an autoimmune process is triggered, when antibodies produced in response to the introduction of streptococcus start to damage the body's own tissues( heart muscle and thymus).However, the pathogenesis of rheumatism is based not only on the immunological mechanisms described above. It should be remembered that the introduction of an infectious agent - b-hemolytic streptococcus group A - occurs through the nasopharynx, where the palatine and pharyngeal tonsils are located, and hence "very near" to the mediastinum. This facilitates the contact of streptococci entering the body through the upper respiratory tract, with the tissues of the heart.
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Who is threatened with rheumatism?
Reactivity of the organism, the state of the nervous, endocrine and other systems also affect the possibility of the development of the disease, the rate and severity of pathological reactions. The incidence of rheumatism falls on children and young age;Thus, 70% of the primary incidence falls on the age range of 8-15 years. Up to 3 years and after 30, the primary disease of rheumatism is very rare. According to statistics, women suffer from rheumatism 2-3 times more often than men.

According to the generally accepted theory, rheumatism occurs after acute tonsillitis caused by hemolytic streptococcus. So in 90% of cases the primary rheumatic heart disease( rheumatic heart disease) was preceded by nasopharyngeal infection. But of all who have recovered from acute nasopharyngeal infection, only 1-3% get rheumatism. And the question why they developed the disease has not yet been clarified.

Contrary to the opinion that the raw climate is the key to the development of rheumatism, it is statistically revealed that the geographical belts practically do not affect the incidence of rheumatism. The disease occurs with the same frequency both in cold damp climate and in subtropics. However, a large role in the emergence of rheumatism is played by population density and unfavorable living conditions, low incomes. So, in highly developed countries, the incidence of rheumatic fever is 0.5 per 1000 people, and in developing countries - up to 6.0 per 1000 people. This is due to the fact that in more highly developed countries the diagnosis and prevention of rheumatism is better developed.

There is also a whole group of predisposing factors, among which an important role is played by the genetic predisposition to connective tissue diseases, and if someone suffers from one of these ailments in the family, the likelihood of the disease of one of his relatives is three times higher than the average. The fact that rheumatism - a family disease, was known to doctors in the XIX century;About this in 1885 he wrote SP.Botkin in "Clinical lectures";Moreover, it was noted that the nature of the course of the disease in parents and in children is similar. Moreover, it is proved that the reason for the "family" nature of the disease is not only that these families have an increased infection with streptococcus, but the genetic peculiarities of the organism play a big role.

In homeopathy, among other constitutional types, a rheumatic constitutional type is identified. In addition, a number of authors have shown the effect of sex on the incidence and manifestation of rheumatism in the family. Children sick father are sick more often and heavier than the children of a sick mother. They have a greater percentage of cases and earlier formed heart defects. Studies have shown that among patients with rheumatism, individuals with blood groups A and B are more likely to occur. As already noted, social factors also play an important role: malnutrition, unbalanced dietary protein, vitamin-mineral composition;Physical and mental stress;Cross infection. Patients with rheumatic diseases account for between 12% and 25% of all people seeking care in medical institutions.

According to the Institute of Rheumatology of the Academy of Medical Sciences, 3/4 patients with rheumatic diseases treated in the hospital were recognized as disabled in the first three years after the onset of the disease, and these were I-II disability groups. In connection with the widespread prevalence, the difficulty of treating a high incidence of disability, rheumatic diseases are of great social importance. According to the World Health Organization, 1/10 of cases of disability is caused by rheumatic diseases. Considering the fact that young and middle-aged people are sick, that is, an able-bodied part of the population, the problem of rheumatic diseases is especially urgent.

Rheumatism in pregnant women
According to statistics, 1% -7% of pregnant women suffer from heart disease, of which 90% are the defects of rheumatic origin. An important issue is the diagnosis of rheumatism in pregnant women, as well as indications and contraindications to the preservation of pregnancy. The main indications for abortion are, first, the presence of an active process and, secondly, the degree of cardiovascular failure.

Cardiovascular insufficiency IIB-III degrees is an absolute contraindication for the preservation of pregnancy;At IIA degree this question is solved individually, because in the second half of pregnancy for physiological reasons the phenomena of cardiovascular insufficiency increase. Insufficiency of the mitral valve is not a contraindication for the bearing of a child, and mitral stenosis or aortic insufficiency in each case requires careful weighing of all pros and cons.

Active medication can harm the development of the fetus, so if there is active rheumatism, the issue of pregnancy should be addressed individually.

According to the literature, relapses of rheumatism in pregnant women occur less frequently than usual, but after the birth of a child, during the period of breast-feeding their frequency increases sharply. Therefore, in the postpartum period, the child should be transferred to artificial feeding as early as possible, and mothers should be assigned active anti-relapse treatment. A pregnant woman suffering from rheumatism should be observed by an obstetrician-gynecologist and a rheumatologist.

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