Reactive arthritis is a disease in which there is inflammation of several joints, which, in turn, occurs after suffering a serious infectious disease. In this article, we will take a closer look at this ailment, its symptoms and the main methods of treatment.
Why does disease occur?
- Reactive arthritis today can be found in many people, but experts identify special risk groups, which mainly include patients with the highest likelihood of developing the disease. Most often, they include representatives of the strong half of humanity aged 20 to 40 years. But ladies are also susceptible to this disease.
- As noted above, reactive arthritis is diagnosed only after a recent serious infectious disease, which includes chlamydia. So, according to experts, in this kind of situation, the probability of encountering a problem is from one to three percent.
- In addition, reactive arthritis also occurs in the presence of a special gene in the body, namely HLA-B27. So, scientists have proved that in this case, the probability of catching the disease increases 50 times.
Main symptoms
- So, the primary signs of this kind of disease, as a rule, make themselves felt four weeks after the entry into the body of the primary infection. The main symptoms are usually simple. This is a rapid increase in body temperature, and malaise, and general weakness, and weight loss.
- It is noteworthy that reactive arthritis develops very rapidly, and already at the second stage there are severe pains in the joints, their inflammation. In addition, the disease spreads to nearby tendons, as well as the so-called articular bags of the fingers.
- Another unpleasant symptom experts call damage to the mucous membranes and directly to the skin itself. The thing is that it is in these areas of our body that small sores (erosion) begin to rapidly appear. It is noteworthy that in men, erosions most often appear on the glans penis.
Diagnosis
When the first symptoms described in this article appear, it is recommended to seek the advice of a specialist without delay. So, in addition to a visual examination, you will need to pass some tests for reactive arthritis. Only after a complete examination, the doctor will confirm or, conversely,will refute such an unpleasant diagnosis.
How to cure reactive arthritis?
Due to the fact that this kind of ailment is primarily provoked by some kind of infection, in this case, experts direct their main efforts to rid the body of its presence. It is on the quality of therapy at this stage that the result of treatment depends. Then special painkillers are already prescribed, which allow you to get rid of unpleasant and very uncomfortable sensations in the joints. Note that most often the treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis, however, in a serious condition of the patient or with severe manifestations of the disease, hospitalization may also be required.
