In medical jargon it is called dactylitis and is an inflammation of the joints and tendons of the hands and feet: a common symptom of arthritis and several other rheumatic diseases
True Martinella
On English tabloids and social networks the hands of the new King Charles III went viral: there are many photographs in which the sovereign’s fingers appear very swollen, like “sausages”. Because? What health problems can be hidden behind this symptom? In medical jargon it is called dactylitis and it is an inflammation of the joints and tendons of a finger or toe that manifests itself as a uniform swelling in the affected finger.
Rheumatic diseases
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Among the possible explanations is the fluid retention. Or the edema could be a common side effect of any medications which are widely prescribed, for example those to stabilize blood pressure, which can have swelling as a side effect. Impossible to make precise assumptions about the sovereign without knowing the other possible ailments he suffers from (like most people over 70 years old) and without knowing the treatments he is following. “However, we can take the opportunity to draw everyone’s attention to the sausage finger – points out Roberto Gerli, president of the Italian Society of Rheumatology -, which is an initial symptom of many rheumatic diseases. One of the most common origins of dactylitis ispsoriatic arthritiswhich falls within the spondyloarthritislike thereactive arthritis not ankylosing spondylitis, in which swelling of the fingers may occur. Or, hand edema can occur for one scleroderma in the initial phase “.
Rheumatic diseases
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There are more than one hundred different rheumatic diseasesvery different from each other in frequency and severity. In our country about six million people suffer from it: rheumatoid arthritis, arthrosis and osteoporosis are among the most common, others less frequent are lupus erythematosus, scleroderma or other forms of systemic autoimmune diseases. Subtle and silent, rheumatic diseases gradually consume the cartilage and nearby tissues without initially giving obvious signs of himself. Then, suddenly, i articolar pains and the former difficulty in movement, which many people neglect for a long time. “Recognizing the symptoms and arriving at a diagnosis as soon as possible is essential to limit the damage and treat the sick in the best possible way,” says Gerli, who is director of rheumatology at the University-Hospital of Perugia.
Sudden swelling
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If not taken care of, many of these pathologies can progressively lead to disability. However, there are treatments and in recent years they have proved to be extremely effective. “Better not to overlook a swelling that appears quickly, for no apparent reason, as well as a swelling associated or not with local pain and redness, of one or more joints in the absence of trauma – concludes the expert -. Swelling is one of the most typical signs, common to many rheumatic diseases. Diagnosis of rheumatic diseases can also be made difficult by the fact that the symptoms are common to several diseases: putting together the clues, in the early stages, can be a daunting task and the early symptoms can be difficult to interpret. For this it is necessary to undergo one visit to a rheumatologist specialistwhich can determine if and which tests to prescribe in order to precisely define the disease in question and the therapy indicate”.
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