Dr. Ivan Kazmin: Nutritional supplements are not a treatment for rheumatic diseases

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Dr. Ivan Kazmin: Nutritional supplements are not a treatment for rheumatic diseases
Dr. Ivan Kazmin: Nutritional supplements are not a treatment for rheumatic diseases
Anonim

We talk with Dr. Ivan Kazmin about the exacerbation of rheumatic diseases in autumn and their treatment.

Dr. Kazmin, why does the number of people looking for a rheumatologist increase sharply in autumn and winter?

- In degenerative and inflammatory joint and spinal diseases, we observe the so-called meteotropy - intensification of complaints when the weather changes (mostly due to atmospheric pressure). That is why the pain experienced by patients is called meteopathic. In autumn and spring, atmospheric pressure often changes. Therefore, during these seasons, patients' complaints become more frequent and intensify, and accordingly they seek help from a rheumatologist.

Cold, dampness, wind are factors that intensify the complaints of an already existing disease, but they are not the primary cause of its appearance. From our grandparents, we have heard "my knees started to spin or I feel cold in my joints, so tomorrow it will rain" - this is a typical example of meteopathic pain. Other patients under the same circumstances complain of pain in the back and lower back, because the arthrosis process is most advanced there.

Are there more people with rheumatological diseases in Bulgaria compared to Spain or Finland for example?

- Medical science knows that in most rheumatic diseases there is a certain genetic predisposition. For this reason, it is difficult to make comparisons in the incidence of such diseases in large groups of people (peoples, nations) that are genetically different. In our country, such comparisons can be made, for example, with Bulgarian citizens of different ethnic origins.

In which ethnicities are rheumatic diseases more common?

- We observe a greater frequency of inflammatory spinal diseases and systemic connective tissue diseases in people of Turkish ethnicity

Most likely, this is due to the marital confinement of people of this ethnicity, which is a prerequisite for a higher frequency of occurrence of risky genetic combinations.

Are rheumatological diseases "rejuvenating" and if so, why?

- At the moment, there is no scientifically proven data on such "rejuvenation" of morbidity. The fact that we increasingly find such diseases in younger people is due to the availability of well-trained rheumatologists and better opportunities for early laboratory and imaging diagnostics. For example, only in the last 10-12 years, the number of rheumatologists in Burgas region increased from three to 10.

What are the most common complaints people come to a rheumatologist with?

- The pain. Pain of joint, spinal and/or muscle origin. From there, the rheumatologist must do everything necessary and possible to clarify the cause, determine the disease and prescribe treatment.

How are rheumatological diseases diagnosed?

- The first condition is for the patient to get to a rheumatologist. Then, based on his complaints, physical examination, laboratory and imaging results, consultations with other specialists, if necessary, the rheumatologist puts the so-called working diagnosis and determines treatment behavior. By tracking the patient's condition over time, the rheumatologist may be able to change both the diagnosis and the treatment.

What is the treatment?

- It is not possible to list only drug groups, let alone individual drugs.

Treatment depends on many factors and is the doctor's commitment and responsibility. Every treatment is a shared decision between doctor and patient, where the doctor has a leading role.

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Are there natural "medicines" - mud, lye, sun, sea, etc.?

- Yes, there is. And not only those listed, but also mineral waters, herbs, physical exercises. There are historical records and archeological artifacts that prove that this type of natural "medicine" has been used by mankind for more than 10,000 years.

Who and how can use these natural "medicines"? Does the doctor give prescriptions?

- As with any medicinal product, there are indications and contraindications for its use. Since we are talking about treatment, it is the doctor (at least by law) who prescribes the type, manner and duration of administration of these natural "remedies" and is responsible for his recommendations.

What should be the behavior of a person with rheumatological disease in the cold months?

- As with all other people - do not expose yourself to hypothermia, maintain your physical activity according to your capabilities and the atmospheric weather, avoid possible risks of falling, from contact with people suffering from seasonal infections, take fluids under the form of warm (preferably non-alcoholic) drinks, to eat a balanced diet and follow the recommendations of the treating rheumatologist.

Food should be natural and not lead to an increase in body weight, so as not to overload the joints. Secondly, it is preferable that the food is of natural origin - fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, milk and milk products. To avoid the use of the so-called processed foods - salami, sausages, snacks, crackers, chips, sweetened carbonated drinks.

Sometimes, especially in winter, I advise my patients to eat, for example, pacha, pig's feet and ears, because it is a food rich in cartilage and collagen and is more nutritious, cheap and tasty than food supplements with such content.

What should the patient do to relieve the symptoms of his illness?

- Relieving the symptoms of a disease does not mean curing it. In most cases, such behavior "blurs" for the doctor the disease itself. The symptoms of any disease are primarily a signal to the patient that something is wrong with his body. The interpretation of these signs, gathering them into a symptom complex and discovering the cause of their appearance is the main task of the doctor. Self-diagnosis and self-treatment by the patient more often carries a risk for himself.

Is there prevention of rheumatological diseases and what is it?

- For the most part, rheumatological diseases have an unclear, not to say unknown, cause. Therefore, it is not possible to prevent, ie. to prevent any disease for which the cause is not known. Perhaps only in the case of osteoporosis, effective prevention is possible through intense physical activity, exposure to the sun in the summer months and intake of vit. D and vit. For the rest of the year, reduce, and where possible, stop smoking, limit coffee intake to 2 cups per day, consume natural foods and drinks with a high calcium content.

Is there something important that people should know that I haven't asked you?

- Nutritional supplements are not a cure. Do not rely on them as a means to cure you. Very often, the patient may have subjective relief when taking nutritional supplements, but at the same time the disease continues to develop and may lead to permanent and irreversible damage.

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