Understanding Rheumatoid Arthritis and Gout w.s.r. to Amavata and Vatarakta

Abstract

The term arthritis itself is being used to describe more than 100 rheumatic diseases and conditions that affect joints, tissues surrounding joints and also connective tissues. These diseases have a deep impact on lifestyle of people affected and increase their “Years Lived with Disability”. With early diagnosis and appropriate management arthritic patients can be saved from pain and functional deformity, so that they can remain functional and productive during their life and also their health expenditure can be reduced. In Rheumatoid arthritis the immune system of our body which is designed to protect our body from various diseases attacks the body’s own cells causing damage to body. As for the Gouty arthritis the values of Uric acid increase in body. Gout is a treatable condition but if ignored for a longer period it can cause extremely painful condition with deformity in joints. Factors like Smoking, obesity, overuse of knee joints in Indians like sitting in squat position, Indian way of defecation, use of certain medicines like diuretics etc. increases the chances of RA and Gout. 10 0ut of 100 RA patients have at least one relative suffering from the same disease. Gout is more common in men; the ratio is 9:1 with respect to women.