Common Causes Of Serositis

March 11, 2024

Serositis is a disease that affects the body as a whole, and it's important to understand what it is and what causes it to occur. The chest and abdomen are home to many organs, and each one has its own job to do. Lungs allow individuals to breathe and the heart allows the body to pump blood. Every organ in this part of the body is covered in something called serous membranes, which are comprised of two layers in which fluid flows. This fluid allows the organs to move around on their own so the body works. Serositis occurs when the serous membranes are inflamed, causing the individual's organs increased difficulty in moving around the body smoothly, resulting in pain and other symptoms.

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Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease many individuals are diagnosed with each year. It works against the joints in the patient's body, and it causes damage and pain individuals might not be comfortable living with. It's easy to differentiate between this type of arthritis and other types because it occurs on both sides of the body equally. Other types of arthritis don't do that, which makes it easy for doctors to diagnose a patient when they have the same pain on both sides. This is an autoimmune disease, which means it causes an individual's blood cells to attack their body instead of attacking bacteria and infection like they're meant to. This causes a negative reaction in the serous membranes that can cause them to become inflamed. This is painful, and it's not easy to live with, though it is treatable. It depends on how early individuals catch it and begin making lifestyle changes that positively affect their body.

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Still's Disease

Still's disease is very rare. In fact, it's so rare that many individuals will go their entire lives without knowing what it means or even hearing about it. It affects only one in every 100,000 individuals, and those are only the adults. While there is a version of this disease that affects children, this one only affects adults and their bodies. It's an inflammatory problem that can cause the serous membranes to become inflamed. It makes it difficult to live comfortable or in good health. Most of the patients who live with this health condition experience swollen joints, organs, and tissues regularly. It's painful, and it doesn't go away on its own. It's often accompanied by a rash that takes on a slightly salmon color, a high fever, and joint pain. It comes and goes whenever it wants, and patients never know when it's going to affect their lives. Some individuals who are diagnosed with Still's disease only experience one flare-up in their life and others experience them more than once over the years.

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Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is quite similar to rheumatoid arthritis in adults, though this condition only affects children. It makes the joints in children feel stiff and uncomfortable, and it's not easy for kids to move around when they suffer from this. Arthritis is a condition many individuals assume only occurs when someone reaches a certain age, but it has little to do with age in some patients. There is no known reason for this condition to occur, hence the term 'idiopathic' being used. Additionally, juvenile idiopathic arthritis is rare and doesn't always last forever. This autoimmune disease can occur for a few months in children, and then can go away and never return. Very few children live with it forever, which is great news for them and their families. However, it's still important for juvenile idiopathic arthritis to not go undiagnosed in children.

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Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle cell disease, which can cause serositis, is a rare red blood cell disorder sometimes also referred to as sickle cell anemia. This means anyone who is diagnosed with sickle cell disease lives with an abnormal type of protein their red blood cells. This condition is most commonly diagnosed in individuals of African American descent, and it's also common in those of Hispanic descent. It's important to realize this is also an inherited disease, so individuals are very unlikely to suffer from this if they don't have anyone else in their family who suffers from it first. It's difficult to live with sickle cell disease. It causes jaundice in adults, swollen hands and feet, symptoms of anemia, and exceptional fatigue. Anyone who lives with it struggles almost every day with the simplest of tasks. It also causes patients to suffer more complications when they are suffering from illness, which is why it's so important to have sickle cell disease diagnosed as soon as possible.

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Kidney Failure

Kidney failure is dangerous as individuals need their kidneys to function normally so they may live a healthy life. The primary functions of this organ include filtering blood and removing toxins. Toxins are present in blood every day. They are sent into the kidneys for the purpose of being filtered out through urination. When individuals must use the bathroom, they are actually urinating the toxins previously found in the blood in their body. When the kidneys lose their ability to filter water and remove toxins, the affected individual is suffering from kidney failure. It's dangerous and can even be deadly. Many things cause this, but it also causes the body to become overloaded with toxins that affect the serous membranes, resulting in not just kidney failure, but serositis as well.

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