Johannesburg – Once thought to be an old man’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis affects young people too.
And because it is an autoimmune disease, which means your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body, it can lead to death and disability if not treated early.
Though proved medically to be more prevalent in women, men also develop the condition. With the common onset age being between 40 and 60, more young people are being diagnosed with it. Like 29-year-old Byron Petersen, who was diagnosed in January this year.
The mechanic from Horseshoe in Johannesburg put his joint inflammation down to gout in November last year and was gulping cocktail after cocktail when he would suffer a flare-up.
“I would also get a pain injection. But when it stopped working, I knew something was wrong. I tried going to the toilet one night and my legs wouldn’t move. I fell down, crawled to the toilet and then I couldn’t get up off the toilet,” said Petersen.
“The next morning, I was taken to the doctor who referred me for blood tests. He called to see me after the results saying it was urgent.”
Petersen said blood tests confirmed that he had the condition, something he never heard of before.
But he went for second and third opinions and again it was confirmed that he suffered from the autoimmune disease. With his first child due in July, Petersen said he feared that he may not enjoy the experience or be the best father with the flare-ups he has.
“My family have been a great support. They researched the condition with me and helped me change my diet from acidic foods and red meat to more vegetable-based. I also changed my drinking habits.
“I have to live a healthier lifestyle so I can live a long and functional life. This is why I am glad it was caught early and I am able to get the best treatment at Helen Joseph Hospital,” he said.
Petersen now receives treatment to control juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, which slows down or stops the growth of cancer cells and suppresses the immune system.
During a virtual roundtable this week, rheumatologists Dr Ingrid Louw of Panorama Medical Centre and Dr Elsa van Duuren from Jacaranda Hospital highlighted the disease in SA.
According to the experts, early treatment with more aggressive therapy such as methotrexate helps reduce further joint damage and preserves joint function.
Van Duuren said treatment of the disease is ideally done as soon as possible when the patient shows symptoms, but at any stage, the aim is to get the disease into remission or to have minimal signs and symptoms.
She explained that adequate treatment is also important to prevent or reduce the severity of comorbidities, particularly cardiovascular disease, which is a major cause of mortality in patients.
The doctors said rheumatoid arthritis is different to gout.
Louw said the disease affects small joints of the hand, wrist and feet before affecting larger joints. If left untreated it can cause deformity.
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