Reactive Arthritis: What You Need to Know

By Kim Archer

Reactive arthritis is an autoimmune disease that develops as a response to an infection in some other part of the anatomy. Since its manifestation is set off by another infection, it is named "reactive". Most often, reactive arthritis takes place due to of the incidence of some type of infection like genital infections, gastrointestinal infections or bacterial infections. Even food poisoning has been known to bring about reactive arthritis. It's often difficult to establish the real reason, because the initial illness has generally been cured before the indications of reactive arthritis turn up.

Reactive arthritis is a problem that tends to occur to individuals who are in their 20s and 30s. It appears that males are more affected by the problem than females. Additionally, white males are more prone to develop reactive arthritis than black men, and this is because of dissimilar types of tissue. And finally, HIV-positive people have an increased likelihood of being affected by reactive arthritis.

This condition can have an effect on the spine, colon, joints, urinary tract, eyes, heart and mouth. A lot of the symptoms of this condition are not unlike other varieties of arthritis, especially psoriatic arthritis.

When a person develops reactive arthritis they will generally detect three separate signs. One of these is inflammation in the large joints, resulting in inflexibility and decreased range of motion. The next is inflammation of the eyes, or conjunctivitis, related to irritation and reddening of the eyes as well as blurred eyesight. The third indicator is called urethritis, which causes difficulty urinating. The person will encounter a burning sensation when urinating. Furthermore, they also tend to urinate more frequently. Further indications of the disease involve the appearance of a rash on the soles of the feet. The symptoms will generally remain for around three weeks to a month.

Treatment for this condition needs to be undertaken very carefully. Prior to going forward with any type of treatment, the physician will carry out tests, both in the doctor's office together with in a laboratory. The health care provider will take urine samples and stool cultures, and will test the blood of the patient. Performing an MRI is also advised.

Reactive arthritis treatment needs to aim at locating and getting rid of the condition in the regions that have been infected. Most effective route to treat the infections is through antibiotics. To treat inflamed joints the physician might suggest using steroids and pain killers. If the situation is unusually severe, the use of an immunosuppressant is advised. - 30287

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