Spondyloarthritis is a set of of inflammatory disorders affect the spine, joints, and ligaments. The symptoms for various types of spondyloarthritis can be joint pain, back pain, flaking skin, weight loss, and burning or itch in the eye.
Spondyloarthritis is chronic in nature and often strikes people between the age of 20 and 30. Among the causes, some of them are family history and people who have a genetic marker known as HLA-B27. Some of the disorders that fall under the category of Spondyloarthritis are reactive arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, undifferentiated spondyloarthritis, enteropathic arthritis and juvenile spondyloarthropathy that affects children.
Ankylosing spondylitis known to cause inflammation of the joints of the vertebrae, and the area where the spine touches the pelvis. This lead to pain and stiffness in the lower back that gets worse in the mornings People with psoriatic arthritis get red skin patches that look raised and cracked nails. This can also progress to one or more joints in the body causing stiffness, swelling and pain, and also conjunctivitis (red eye infection).
Reactive arthritis symptoms includes burning sensation while passing urine, inflammation in the mucous membranes, leading to pain and swelling in the joints. Enteropathic arthritis is inflammation of the intestine. That leads to pain in the joints of the limbs and also stomach pain, accompanied by diarrhea.
Spondyloarthritis Diagnosis
A rheumatologist is the best person to diagnose and treat Spondyloarthritis. The diagnosis is made taking into consideration the symptoms, the physical check-up and patient history. The doctor may also call for more tests like x-rays of the spine and joints, blood test and MRI.
Spondyloarthritis pictures
Check out Spondyloarthritis photos
Spondyloarthritis treatment:
Among the treatment options, the most common ones include administering Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Corticosteroids may also be given for a short period of time. For those with psoriatic arthritis, the doctor may prescribe the patient a skin treating cream. Similarly for those with eye inflammation, eye drops are prescribed.
There are different treatment options that typically can help manage the pain and specific symptoms of the condition. are most commonly recommended in the initial stages. Corticosteroids might be used for short periods. For a doctor might recommend a medicated cream for the skin. Eye drops could be suggested in patients with symptoms of eye inflammation.
For certain cases, the doctor may give medications like sulfasalazine which comes in the category of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDS). A newer approach of treatment is with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, or TNF blockers that prevent the action of TNF-alpha, proteins that trigger inflammation in patients. Only in serious cases of Spondyloarthritis, is surgery advised. It is performed for joint replacement. Also, surgery may be required if the spine curvature is affected to a great extent.
Apart from the above steps, there are home remedies to treat Spondyloarthritis. Local application of heat can help to treat stiffness, and so can cold packs when there is swelling in the area. Regular exercises under the guidance and program of a physiotherapist can help increasing the flexibility, strength and mobility of the joints
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