Overview ofReactive Arthritis
Reactive arthritis, as the name suggests, occurs in reaction to something—in this case, an infection. The condition is caused by a bacterial infection in the digestive or urinary tract or the genitals, but arthritis symptoms typically do not set in until after you have recovered from the infection. Inflammation of the joints, eyes, and urinary tract are hallmarks of reactive arthritis, but not everyone gets all three, or they might not occur at the same time.
The knee and ankle joints are frequently affected, and many people also experience pain in the sacroiliac joints, which are located in the lower back. Reactive arthritis is a form of spondyloarthritis, a group of arthritis conditions that typically involve the sacroiliac joints in the lower back, and entheses (places where tendons or ligaments attach to bones). Foot pain in people with reactive arthritis is usually due to inflammation of entheses.
The symptoms often clear up on their own within a few weeks or months, but they may become chronic (long-lasting) in some people. Doctors tailor treatment to each individual’s symptoms, and therapy typically involves a combination of medications and exercise.
Who GetsReactive Arthritis?
Anyone can get reactive arthritis, and it occurs worldwide. A bacterial infection—in the digestive or urinary tract or the genitals—typically precedes it by a few weeks. Although sexually transmitted infections can occur just before the onset of reactive arthritis, many cases of reactive arthritis are associated with other types of infections that are not transmitted sexually. Certain factors increase the risk of the condition, including:
- Sex. Both men and women can get reactive arthritis, but men are more likely to develop it as a result of a sexually transmitted infection. Men and women are equally affected if the condition is from a gastrointestinal infection.
- Age. It occurs most often in people between ages 20 and 40.
- Genetics. People who have a gene called HLA-B27 have a higher risk of getting reactive arthritis and of experiencing more severe and more long-lasting symptoms. But people who lack HLA-B27 can still get the condition.
- HIV infection. Having AIDS or being infected with HIV increases the risk of reactive arthritis.
