Definition

Nicchick

Hi! I've been a bit AWOL as it's that time of year (tax return) and I got a bit behind with paperwork due to being so sick last year and having so many trips to hospital.

Anyway...I use Twitter a lot for work and through that have *met* quite a few fellow RA or PsA peeps from all over the world. One of them posted yesterday that she had read that the definition of auto-immune diseases referred to as 'arthritis' was being changed to 'disease' ie. Rheumatoid Disease instead of Rheumatoid Arthritis. This is to help people understand that it is very different to the arthritis that affects older people.

I found this very interesting, the Tweeter is an American lady who blogs about living with RA.

I wondered if anyone else had heard about this?

I have to be good now and get back to the dreaded paperwork.....I just thought I would post this before I forgot about it, I'm so forgetful right now!

Hoping everyone is ok and I will be back....

Nic x

stickywicket

Interesting. The auto-immune ones and OA are certainly different (speaking as one who has both) but I wonder if this is just an American thing.

Would we speak of Rheumatoid Diseases or Rheumatoid Disease, Psoriatic Disease, Reactive Rheumatoid Disease, Gout Disease etc? I think it would stir up as much muddy water as it clears.

Maybe we're just heading back to the old days of 'My rheumatics are killing me '

dreamdaisy

I've heard of this before, surely an arthritis is an arthritis whatever name it's given. Although OA is by far and away the most common form there is now a school of thought that it too may have a genetic component - that could explain why some start it at such a young age. DD

Nicchick

I had a feeling it was an American thing...

I do find it wearing explaining to people who ask me what's wrong - only for them to follow it up with either 'my nan has that' or 'this cold can't help' (when in fact I'm better during the winter) I have found myself telling people it's auto-immune disease or that my immune system is cocked up, more so since starting Humira as I don't want sick people around me if at all possible...

I also have both types due to long-term inflammation in feet, knees and hips but 'rheumatics' always reminds me of 'pneumatics' and gives me a funny image in my head

Just wondered what you all thought....back to the grindstone! I shut the shop early today as there was no-one around and I'd rather do paperwork in the warm at home.

Nx

stickywicket

I, too, used to get the stereo-typical remarks. "You can't have arthritis at your age." (I wish!) and once got b*ll*ck*d at school for refusing to move a heavy table. My reply of "I have arthritis in my hands" wasn't believed. Next day the nun in question, having done some research, apologised profusely and was my champion after that I think the only way people learn is if we tell them. They no longer tell me I'm too young to have arthritis :roll:

LignumVitae

I too have come across this from America and whilst I can see that it makes it clear that you are talking about a disease not a worn joint (but as DD rightly said, there is much research supporting OA being more than worn out joints these days) it doesn't really clarify things further in terms of making it clear there is an auto immune element. Arth= joint and itis = inflammation which kind of explains the common feature between all these things. My Grandpa always told me he suffered terrible rheumatics without ever being able to explain what that meant (I did ask, annoyingly for him I was a curious child). I guess to me, a rose by any other name smells as sweet or hurts just as bad.

SW - what a naughty nun! At least she repented though.

dreamdaisy

It is wearing to explain but it has to be done so that people begin to understand a little better about these conditions. Anyhoo, I have found over the years that even when I explain people don't remember - and if they don't have it themselves why would they? After all it's not of much interest.

viz. the dreaded tax return I've done my facts and figures but the printer is not co-operating so I can't print my spreadsheets. I need 'im indoors to be in a much better mood to help me sort this out - and to do the return! What a to-do it all is, it is one of the downsides of self-employment. Good luck with it! DD

Airwave!

I have no problem with calling each illness by its own name and defining each, the problem comes with charities, the effort to collect, research and award funds to the illness as a whole would be diluted, the less common and or the less publicised may well suffer as a result.

There is already a lot of competition amongst charities for funds and a smaller charity may well be unable to fund research, if at all. I doubt whether a hospital could fund a specialist in a single illness or a clinic either.