Reactive arthritis is a condition that is thought to be caused by a previous infection disrupting the normal workings of the immune system (the body's natural defence against infection and illness).
In reactive arthritis, the immune system malfunctions and causes inflammation (redness and swelling) to develop throughout the body. The three most common places that are affected by inflammation are:
- the eyes (conjunctivitis) - which can cause symptoms such as eye pain and redness of the eyes
- the joints (arthritis) - which can cause symptoms such as pain and stiffness
- the urethra (urethritis) - the urethra is the tube through which urine passes; urethritis can cause pain when urinating
Read more about the symptoms of reactive arthritis.
Treatment
There is currently no cure for reactive arthritis, although it usually gets better within three to 12 months.
Treatment involves using medication to relieve symptoms. such as pain and stiffness.
Mild to moderate symptoms can usually be controlled using the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) class of painkillers, such as ibuprofen.
More severe symptoms will usually require steroid tablets (oral corticosteroids) or steroid injections (intravenous corticosteroids).
Read more about the treatment of reactive arthritis.
Some people will experience a reoccurrence of symptoms at some point in the future and around 1 in 7 people will go on to develop long-term arthritis that persists for many years.
Causes
Reactive arthritis develops after an infection, typically after a sexually transmitted infection such as chlamydia or an infection of the digestive system such as that which occurs during food poisoning.
For reasons that are still unclear, two to four weeks after the infection has passed the immune system, which is the body’s defence against infection, appears to malfunction and starts attacking health tissue.
It sends antibodies to various sites in the body and these antibodies are responsible for the symptoms of inflammation associated with reactive arthritis.
Read more about the causes of reactive arthritis.
Who is affected by reactive arthritis?
Reactive arthritis is a relatively uncommon condition. It is estimated that 1 in every 2,500 people will develop a new case of reactive arthritis in any given year in England.
Reactive arthritis that occurs after a digestive infection affects men and women equally.
While reactive arthritis that occurs after a sexually transmitted infection is much more common in men who account for 9 out of 10 of all cases.
Most cases of reactive arthritis develop in people who are 20 to 40 years of age.
