If you have arthritis ortake medications to treat it在美国，咳嗽、发烧或疲劳可能是感染的迹象。这是因为你可能比一般人更容易受到感染，新泽西州帕拉默斯特殊外科医院的风湿病学家Dee Dee Wu医学博士说。此外，感染可能会变得很严重，所以及时治疗很重要。
Corticosteroids, methotrexate, leflunomide (Arava) andbiologics, suppress or modify your immune system, affecting your body’s ability to fight off germs, says Dr. Wu. “We advise patients to stop these drugs and call us right away if they develop signs of infection,” she says. Other commonly used arthritis medications – sulfasalazine (Azulfidine) and hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil), for example – are not associated with increased infection risk, she adds.
Aside from medication use, factors associated with greater infection risk include:
- Age over 80
- A history of previous severe infections
- Low white blood cell count
- Elevated erythrocyte sedimentation (SED) rate
- Arthritis symptoms outside the joints
- Other serious health conditions, such asheart disease, heart failure, diabetes,lung diseaseor vascular disease
- Excessive use of alcohol
While upper respiratory infections are most frequent, gastrointestinal and urinary tract infections are also common, says Dr. Wu. Report to your doctor sore throat, cough, fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue or malaise, nausea, diarrhea, pelvic pain, increased urge to urinate or painful urination, or blood in urine.
Treatment will depend on the type of infection, but the best strategy is to avoid it in the first place. Dr. Wu advises washing your hands frequently, not sharing food or drink and avoiding close contact with people who are sick. Be cautious, but don’t go overboard, she says. “You still need to enjoy your life.”
Author: Mary Anne Dunkin
Related Resources:
- Myth or Truth: You Are at Greater Risk of Cold and Flu Because of Arthritis
- Arthritis Patients: Get Your Flu Shots
- RA & Infection Risk
- Precautions to Take Before Starting Biologics