Reactive arthritis, formerly known as Reiter syndrome, is an inflammatory disease that develops shortly after or during a bacterial infection, usually or gastrointestinal.Because this occurs as a result of an infection, this type of arthritis is called reactive.
Reactive arthritis is composed of the clinical triad: post-infective arthritis, urethritis and conjunctivitis.This disease is most common in young adults with a history of infection in the last 4 weeks.
- In most cases.
- People diagnosed with reactive arthritis will recover after a few months without treatment.
- But there is a possibility that it will happen again.
- The treatment of this type of arthritis is established by the family doctor or rheumatologist according to the symptoms present by the patient and the cause of the disease.
- The use of anti-inflammatory.
- Analgesics.
- Corticosteroids or antibiotics may be recommended.
Reactive arthritis usually occurs as a result of a urogenital or intestinal bacterial infection; in the case of a urogenital infection, it can be caused by sexually transmitted diseases, such as chlamydia, which is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis.infections, may be due to an infection with Campylobacter sp, Shigella sp or Salmonella sp, for example.
These infections can occur as a result of unprotected intimate contact, in the case of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), may be associated with urethritis or cervicitis, which can be asymptomatic, although in most cases they cause pain and burns in the urine, in addition to urethral or vaginal secretion, or due to food poisoning., in case of bacterial intestinal infections. In addition, reactive arthritis can be caused by a viral infection.There are also reports of reactive arthritis after immunotherapy for bladder cancer.
Reactive arthritis is characterized by a triad of symptoms (arthritis, urethritis and conjunctivitis), that is, the disease shows signs of infection, joint inflammation and eye problems, so the main signs and symptoms associated with reactive arthritis are :
Symptoms of infection
In addition, other more general symptoms may occur, such as excessive fatigue, back pain, fever greater than 38 degrees Celsius, weight loss, canker sores, abdominal pain or diarrhea, for example, when these symptoms appear it is recommended to consult with a family doctor.to assess the problem and indicate the need to consult a rheumatologist to initiate appropriate treatment.
Diagnosis of reactive arthritis is primarily clinical, in which the doctor evaluates whether there are signs and symptoms characteristic of the triad, i.e. the presence of signs and symptoms related to infection, inflammation of the joints and eye problems.
In addition, your doctor may order a genetic test to identify HLA-B27, which may be considered a positive marker in patients with reactive arthritis.Taken in isolation, HLA-B27 has little diagnostic value and is not indicated in routine care.Patients.
Treatment of reactive arthritis is based on the person’s symptoms and the cause of the disease, and the use of anti-inflammatory and analgesic medications, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, is usually indicated by the rheumatologist.In some cases, the use of corticosteroids, such as prednisolone, may also be recommended to reduce inflammation in various parts of the body and relieve symptoms.
The rheumatologist may also indicate the use of antibiotics, in case reactive arthritis is caused by a bacterial infection and the body cannot eliminate the bacteria, however, the use of antibiotics has no impact on the development of the disease.joints are affected, physiotherapy may also be indicated, which is done with exercises that help restore limb movement and relieve pain.
However, it is not always possible to completely alleviate all symptoms of reactive arthritis and a chronic disease develops that causes symptoms to recur for several weeks.
In most cases of reactive arthritis, your doctor recommends the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to relieve symptoms, and ibuprofen or diclofenac may be recommended to reduce pain and facilitate joint movement.is not enough, the use of other medicines, such as:
Treatment of reactive arthritis usually lasts about 6 months, but in some cases it can be as long as 1 year depending on the severity of the symptoms and the person’s response to treatment.
Physiotherapy treatment is important in the treatment of this type of arthritis to avoid stiffening the joint.For example, physiotherapy indicates and performs certain exercises to relieve joint symptoms, increase range of motion and prevent deformities that may occur as a result of the disease.
Watch the video below to see some arthritis exercises: