Rheumatic Diseases Treatment: Q And A With Dr. Shahkaib Qureshi

Rheumatic diseases are commonly diagnosed through symptoms such as inflammation which affects supporting structures of the body such as joints, tendons and ligaments etc. Most commonly diagnosed disease is arthritis, causing swollen joints and extreme pain. There are several different types of arthritis; which affect people of different age groups.

Dr. Shakaib Qureshi is a rheumatologist in Lahore. He’s fellow of American College Of Rheumatology and American Board Certification in Internal Medicine. In this session with oladoc, he talks about a number of rheumatic disorders and diseases. 

Q.1: What is the difference between Rheumatologist and Orthopedic Surgeon?

In Pakistan, the lines of distinction between rheumatologist and orthopedic surgeons have been blurred for ages resulting in an incorrect diagnosis. The most basic difference is that orthopedics are surgeons, whereas rheumatologists are physicians Most have been differently trained to make diagnosis in each of their respective fields.

Rheumatologists are skilled in diagnosing different types of arthritis, connective tissue diseases, and muscle diseases etcetera.

Q.2: What is Gout?

When the level of uric acid goes higher than the normal, it begins to show up from the swelling and pain in foot and ankle. When this happens, we send liquid from the joints to the lab for testing and further analysis. Some of these joints are septic and may lead to arthritis; the patient is likely to suffer pain and fever at this stage. Timely diagnosis is important.

Q.3: What is the importance of uric acid and how is it treated?

High levels of uric acid are unfortunately very common in Pakistan. The elements that are not required by the body are usually filtered out by kidneys in a healthy person, when kidneys fail to do so it forms uric acid. This can cause swelling of joints coupled with pain and discomfort. It is pertinent to first properly diagnose gout and then treat it for efficient results. Different treatments are prescribed depending on the levels of gout. 

Q.4: What are auto-immune diseases?

Auto-immune diseases are caused when the natural system of the body is disturbed. The body begins to produce auto-antibodies that destroy different organs of the body. Commonly diagnosed auto-immune disease among young women is Lupus. The number of anti-bodies becomes extremely high in this case; the diagnosis is made on the premise of the number of anti-bodies. These diseases affect the muscles by rapidly destroying them; therefore, I strongly recommend a timely diagnosis. 

Q.5: What are Fibromyalgia and Polymyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is exceptionally common among females; almost 99% of women suffer from it. It is characterized by generalized body aches, weakness, constant fatigue, depression and frequent pain in joints. Early examination of patient history is initially done to manage this condition.

Polymyalgia usually only affects shoulders and hips, if proper treatment is not timely given the patient may lose their eyesight. Therefore, I strongly encourage women to get regular checkups done if the pain in joints or other parts of body persists.

If you want to learn more about rheumatic diseases, then watch the full interview. You can book an appointment with a top rheumatologist through oladoc.com, or call our helpline at 042-3890-0939 for assistance to find the RIGHT professional for your concerns.