Number of Vietnamese Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Escalating

The University Medical Center in Ho Chi Minh City on December 6 informed it has treated many rheumatoid arthritis patients lately and the number of them tends to increase. Noticeably, most of the serious cases is due to wrong treatment. For instance, a 57 year old woman hailing from the Mekong delta province of Soc Trang suffered hand joint pain six years ago. The woman did not come to the hospital for treatment but self-medication. At first she felt clear improvement ; therefore, she continued taking the drug within two years, but later, pain in her hand joint increased and hand joints were misshapen. Until now, she visited the University Medical Center in Ho Chi Minh City for treatment. She achieved a clinical remission after six month treatment. Dr. Cao Thanh Ngoc who heads the University Medical Center ‘s Department of Bone warned patients not to buy medicine by themselves as some of medicines contain corticosteroids which help release pain at first time but later patients will suffer side effects from corticosteroids including skin atrophy and Osteoporosis. Dr. Ngoc advised people to receive rheumatoid arthritis treatment sooner rather than later may be your key to remission. Plus, patients should not stop treatment without doctors’ opinions. (Saigon Giai Phong - Liberated Saigon)