What is polymyalgia rheumatica? Polymyalgia rheumatica causes muscle pain and stiffness in the neck, shoulder, and hip. The pain and stiffness usually occur in the morning or when you haven’t been moving for a while. It typically lasts longer than 30 minutes. For most people, the condition develops over time. But for some people it can start quickly – even overnight. In addition to stiffness, you may have a fever, weakness, and weight loss. Polymyalgia rheumatica usually goes away within one year, but it could last several years. People with polymyalgia rheumatica often have giant cell arteritis a disorder associated

What are autoimmune diseases? Autoimmune diseases refer to problems with the immune system, which usually fights off viruses, bacteria, and infection. The problem causes your immune cells to attack your body by mistake. These diseases can affect almost any part of the body.

What is pachyonychia congenita? Pachyonychia congenita is a very rare disorder. It causes thick nails and painful calluses on the bottoms of the feet. In some cases, blisters also form on the palms of the hands.

What is rosacea? Rosacea (ro-ZAY-she-ah) is a long-term disease that causes reddened skin and pimples, usually on the face. It can also make skin thicker and cause eye problems.

What is lichen sclerosus? Lichen sclerosus is a long-term problem that usually affects the skin of the genital and anal areas. The disease can also appear on the upper body, breasts, and upper arms. The disease does not cause skin cancer but may increase your risk for cancer if your skin is scarred. You should see your doctor every 6 to 12 months in order to follow and treat skin changes.

What is ichthyosis? Ichthyosis is a group of skin disorders. It leads to dry, itchy skin that appears scaly, rough, and red. The symptoms can range from mild to severe. Ichthyosis can affect only the skin, but sometimes the disease can affect internal organs, too.

What is arthritis? "Arthritis" literally means joint inflammation. Although joint inflammation is a symptom or sign rather than a specific diagnosis, the term arthritis is often used to refer to any disorder that affects the joints. Joints are places where two bones meet, such as your elbow or knee. There are different types of arthritis. In some diseases in which arthritis occurs, other organs, such as your eyes, heart, or skin, can also be affected. Fortunately, current treatments allow most people with arthritis to lead active and productive lives.

What is osteonecrosis? Your bones are made up of living cells that need a blood supply to stay healthy. In osteonecrosis, blood flow to part of a bone is reduced. This causes death of bone tissue, and the bone can eventually break down and the joint will collapse. Osteonecrosis can happen to any bone, but most often it develops in the ends of long bones, such as the: Thigh bone. Upper arm bone. Less often, the bones of the elbows, ankles, feet, wrists, and hands are affected. When the disease involves part of a bone in a joint, it can

What is alopecia areata? Alopecia areata is a disease that attacks your hair follicles (the part of your skin that makes hair). In most cases, hair falls out in small, round patches about the size of a quarter. This causes only a few bare patches. Some people may lose more hair. In only a few people, the disease causes total loss of hair on the head or loss of all body hair. Your hair may grow back, even if you lose all of it. But it may fall out again. No one can tell you when it might fall out

What is Sjögren’s syndrome? Sjögren’s syndrome is a chronic (long-lasting) disorder that happens when the immune system attacks the glands that make moisture in the eyes, mouth, and other parts of the body. The main symptoms are dry eyes and mouth, but the disorder may affect other parts of the body. Many people with Sjogren’s syndrome say they feel tired often (fatigue). They also may have joint and muscle pain. In addition, the disease can damage the lungs, kidneys, and nervous system.

What is rheumatoid arthritis? Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic (long-lasting) disease that mostly affects joints, such as the wrist, hands, feet, spine, knees, and jaw. In joints, RA causes inflammation that leads to: Pain. Swelling Stiffness. Loss of function. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder because the immune system attacks the healthy joint tissues. Normally, the immune system helps protect the body from infection and disease. RA may cause you to feel unusually tired, to have occasional fevers, and to have a loss of appetite. It also may cause other medical problems in the heart, lungs, blood, nerves, eyes

What is fibromyalgia? Fibromyalgia is a long-lasting or chronic disorder that causes muscle pain and fatigue (feeling tired). If you have fibromyalgia, you have pain and tenderness throughout your body. Sometimes you may have two or more chronic pain conditions at the same time, such as: Chronic fatigue syndrome. Endometriosis. Irritable bowel syndrome. Interstitial cystitis. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ). Vulvodynia.

What are knee problems? Knee problems happen when you injure or develop disease in your knee and it can’t do its job. The knees provide stable support for the body. They also allow your legs to bend and straighten. Both flexibility and stability are needed to stand, walk, run, crouch, jump, and turn. Other parts of your body help the knees do their job. These are: Bones. Cartilage. Muscles. Ligaments. Tendons.