Are You Suffering from Reactive Arthritis Symptoms?

Reactive arthritis that was earlier occasionally adverted to as Reiter’s syndrome is an arthritis type which along with the joints could additionally affect several other regions of the body inclusive of areas like eye, skin and urethral region (tube carrying urine from bladder to be excreted out).

The condition is identified due to an array of symptoms appearing in diverse body organs which might or might not surface at the analogous instant. It might surface swiftly and acutely or more gradually with abrupt remission or relapse phases.

Reactive arthritis chiefly afflicts men in the age band of twenty to forty years of age and sexually active. People having HIV or human immunodeficiency virus are especially at elevated risk.

Reactive Arthritis Causes:

The reasons for reactive arthritis developing are yet unclear, however studies indicate that it is due to presence of a merger of heritable pre-disposition and diverse other factors.

About seventy-five percent of people having this disease have an affirmative result to blood analysis for HLA-B27 genetic marker that indicates the condition has a heritable constituent.

Among men that are sexually active, majority of the cases of reactive arthritis would ensue infection with prevalent STDs like Ureaplasma urealyticum, Chlamydia trachomatis. There are other individuals who experience reactive arthritis symptoms after an intestine infection due to salmonella, campylobacter, shingella or yersinia bacterial forms.

Except for condom usage during sexual intercourse there is no identified pre-emptive measure for this disease.

Reactive Arthritis Symptoms:

The foremost reactive arthritis symptoms are excruciating urination and penile emission in case there is urethral inflammation. Loose bowels could atypically occur in case intestines have developed infection. Arthritis would soon follow 4 to twenty-eight days after. This form of arthritis would generally affect areas like the finger, toe, ankle, hip and knee joint. Classically, exclusively a single or some joints might develop infection at a single instant. Other symptoms comprise of:

• Oral ulcer formations.
• Eye inflammation.
• Patchy scales on skin of the palm, sole, chest or scalp (Keratoderma blennorrhagica).
• Back aches due to SI or sacroiliac joint being involved.
• Pains due to inflamed ligament and tendon at the location of their placing inside the bone or also called as enthesitis.

Reactive Arthritis Diagnosis & Tests:

There are no definite tests for diagnosis of this disease; however the physician might check discharge from urethra for checking STD presence. Faeces sample analysis could be done for checking indications of the disease. Blood analysis outcomes are classically affirmative in case of genetic marker HLA-B27 with a high WBC (white blood cell) count and an augmented ESR or erythrocyte sedimentation rate that are indications of inflammation. There could be mild anemia due to less RBC presence in the blood.

Joint X-ray generally does not show any irregularities until the person has experienced relapse incidents of the condition. X-rays might reveal regions of bone thinning, indications of osteoporosis or bone spur formations due to repetitive inflammation. Joints present in the pelvic and back regions might reveal irregularities and harm due to this disease.

Reactive Arthritis Treatment:

• Chlamydia or other bacteria-caused infections would require antibiotic treatment.
• NSAID like aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen for treating inflamed joints.
• Skin eruption and inflamed eye is cured using steroid treatment.
• Methotrexate medicines prescription for treating acute disease.
• Acute arthritis treatment with physiotherapy and regular exercising.