Is rheumatism from “frozen”?

From a doctor’s point of view, rheumatism is not “frozen”. During clinical treatment, patients often wonder whether rheumatism is “frozen”. As a doctor, I can state clearly that rheumatism is not caused solely by the factor of “frozen”, but cold irritation may have an impact in the course of its onset and development.Rheumatism is a complex self-immunizing disease whose exact causes have not yet been fully identified. Current medical research shows that its occurrence is the result of a combination of factors.From a genetic point of view, certain specific genetic variations can significantly increase the risk of individuals contracting rheumatism. If there is a case of rheumatism in the family, the probability of a disease in their relatives is higher than in the general population, which suggests that genetic factors occupy a significant place in the incidence of the disease.Equally, environmental factors cannot be ignored. Long-term exposure to certain specific sources of infection, such as bacteria, viruses, can trigger abnormal activation of the organism ‘ s immune system. Following an erroneous identification of its own organization, the immune system began to attack areas such as the joint filament, thus initiating the onset of rheumatism. In addition, smoking is an important environmental risk factor, which interferes with the immune regulation of the body and increases the risk of rheumatism.However, cold irritation, while not the cause of the disease, can be a “catalyst” to induce or exacerbate it. When the joint is in a cold environment for long periods of time, the veins around the joint shrink, which leads to local blood circulation. Reduced blood supply means that there is insufficient oxygen, nutrients and effective discharge of metabolic waste. As a result, the local micro-environment of the joints is damaged, the inflammation response is likely to increase, and symptoms of pre-existing joint pain, rigidity and so on become more visible.For patients who have been diagnosed with rheumatism, particular attention is paid in their daily lives to keeping warm, avoiding as much as possible cold weather for long periods of time, wearing warm clothing, gloves, knee protection, etc. But we also need to make it clear to the patient that warmth is only one aspect of the ablution of symptoms, assistive control of the condition, and, more importantly, a standard treatment programme, timely medication, periodic review, and effective control of the development of rheumatism by regulating the immune system, mitigating the inflammation response, etc., to improve the quality of life.In short, rheumatism is a disease caused by a combination of multiple factors, and cold irritation is not the cause of the disease, but its impact cannot be ignored in the response.