Ankylosing spondylitis

Illustration by Cindy Chung, Verywell. Symptom Variations The symptoms of AS most commonly begin in early adulthood. These symptoms do not affect everyone the same way. In other words, some people with AS have much milder disease with minimal impact on their daily lives. Others have much more debilitating symptoms. While symptoms vary in type and severity, they also may vary by gender. In a Clinical Rheumatology, back pain was reported as the main AS problem in both men and women. But women with AS were more likely to have pain in their neck, knee, or hip, whereas men were more likely to have feet pain. Women may be more likely to experience fatigue and depression in relation to AS. • Chronic, lasting threemonths or longer • Onset when a person is less than 40 years of age • Coming on slowly over weeks to months • Improving with exercise and not improving with rest or lying down • Being worse at night (even waking a person up) • Improving with a The quality of the pain in AS can also be helpful in distinguishing it from mechanical back pain. For instance, a person with AS will usually describe his or her back pain as dull and "all over," though sometimes the pain radiates into the buttock region. "Hunchback" Appearance and Limited Mobility As ankylosing spondylitis becomes more advanced, the inflammation can cause spinal deformities on the spine. This new bone formation may lead to spinal fusion, causing a person's back to curve forward (called hyperkyphosis). In severe ca...

Taking hormonal birth control may affect a person’s ankylosing spondylitis disease. A 2014 review found that women who took daily Sensitivity to Pain Our hormone levels affect how our bodies perceive pain, so it is not uncommon to feel more pain during your period. Having low levels of estrogen (as is common during the menstrual period) is known to increase pain sensitivity in the body. Estrogen also influences the immune system. More research on the relationship between ankylosing spondylitis and menstrual cycles is necessary. Because this disease has been more commonly diagnosed in men, women have been underrepresented in clinical research studies. Though ankylosing spondylitis diagnoses in men are widely understood to outnumber those in women three to one, a Swiss study reported that with increased recognition of the condition in women, the ratio had dropped to 1.2 to one. Menstrual Cycles and Inflammation Ankylosing spondylitis is an inflammatory disease. During certain phases of the menstrual cycle, there is more inflammation in the body. This can lead to increased disease severity and pain. Managing AS Flares During Your Period An ankylosing spondylitis flare can involve increased pain, fatigue, and emotional upset. If you notice that your disease symptoms tend to flare before or during your period, make a plan for how you will manage them. Talking with your healthcare provider about treatment options during flares may help. • NSAIDs: • Hot bath or shower: The heat f...

What Is Ankylosing Spondylitis? "Ankylosis" means fused bones or other hard tissue. "Spondylitis" means There’s no cure for AS. But Ankylosing Spondylitis Symptoms AS often starts in your sacroiliac joints, where your spine connects to your pelvis. It can affect places where your tendons and ligaments attach to bones. It can even cause your vertebrae to fuse together. You might have pain or stiffness in your: • Lower back • Buttocks • Shoulders • Hands • Rib cage • Hips • Thighs • Feet • Heels You might notice: • Pain that’s worse in the morning or after sitting for a long time • A rigid spine that curves forward • Tiredness • Swelling in your joints • Trouble taking deep breaths Symptoms can differ from person to person. Your condition also may change quicker or slower than someone else’s. Ankylosing Spondylitis Complications AS can • Spine. In rare cases, your vertebrae may become weak, making them more likely to fracture or break. Damaged vertebrae can press on or irritate a group of nerves in the bottom of your spinal cord called the cauda equina. You might have trouble controlling your bowels or • Eyes . About 40% of people with AS have an • Heart valve. Rarely, AS can enlarge your People with AS are also more likely to get certain types of cancers. They include Ankylosing Spondylitis Causes Researchers aren’t sure what triggers AS, but they think it’s tied to your genes. Most people with AS have a gene that makes a protein called HLA-B27. Doctors think it tells your ...

Your digestive tract may become irritated as a result of chronic inflammation due to AS. Your kidneys or liver may also be irritated from taking anti-inflammatory medication. If this happens, or if the medication becomes less effective at managing your symptoms, your rheumatologist may switch medicines and prescribe a Biologics are often used to manage your ankylosing spondylitis condition, and they may help offer protection from damage to your joints. Joint damage cannot be undone in AS, so protecting the joints should be a priority. Common biologic medicines include tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) like Enbrel (etanercept) and Humira (adalimumab). If those are not effective, a biologic called IL-17 inhibitors may be prescribed. The most important component of successful management is finding the best medication for your condition and remaining active as the disease progresses. • Issues with posture: As your spine slowly fuses during advanced AS, you may notice your posture becoming more rounded forward. Physical therapy may help you attain and maintain proper posture as this occurs. • Osteoporosis and spinal fractures: People with advanced AS may be more likely to suffer from • Rib pain and breathing and cardiac issues: Advanced AS may also cause scarring and changes to your ribs, affecting the way they move during respiration. Some people with advanced AS experience breathing problems and work with a respiratory therapist to maintain appropriate respiration. Card...

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Ankylosing spondylitis, also called It causes inflammation of the spinal joints, which can lead to chronic pain and disability if left untreated. In very severe cases, the inflammation can cause new bone to form on the spine. This may lead to immobility. Ankylosing spondylitis can also cause pain and stiffness in other parts of the body. It may affect other large joints, such as the The symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis vary. Like other forms of arthritis, it typically features mild to moderate flare-ups of Knowing the • early morning stiffness • poor posture or stooped shoulders • loss of appetite • low-grade fever • weight loss • • • reduced lung function Because ankylosing spondylitis involves inflammation, it can • inflammation of the bowels • eye inflammation • heart valve inflammation • plantar fasciitis and Family history A family history of ankylosing spondylitis is a risk factor, along with the presence of the HLA-B27 protein. More than Age Unlike other arthritic and rheumatic disorders, initial symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis often appear in younger adults. Symptoms often appear between ages Sex Some Ankylosing spondylitis symptoms can differ If ankylosing spondylitis is left untreated, some • vertebrae may fuse together because of chronic inflammation • inflammation can spread to nearby joints, including hips and shoulders • inflammation may spread to ligaments and tendons, which may make flexibility worse • difficulty breathing • eye irritation • heart, lun...

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• • • • • • What is ankylosing spondylitis? Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic, "Ankylosing" refers to the tendency of the spine to fuse (or “ankylose”). One component of this fusion process is that ligaments that connect one vertebra to another become injured by the inflammatory process. This causes them to form scar tissue, and then new bone tissue can form within the ligaments. In addition, inflammatory injury to bone tissue itself also causes scarring followed by bony overgrowth. This leads to the fusion of one spinal vertebra to the one above or below it. "Spondylitis" refers specifically to the inflammatory process ("itis") of the spine. As a result of this inflammation, a person feels stiffness and pain in the back, a gradual loss of mobility, and in the most severe cases, a complete loss of motion of the lower back. The neck (cervical spine) often has a similar inflammatory process and can likewise progressively lose motion. Side-view X-ray of an ankylosed spine Who gets ankylosing spondylitis? Ankylosing spondylitis often begins at a young age (from the teens to the third decade of life) and is more common in men–about two to three times more common than in women. AS can also affect children, called juvenile ankylosing spondylitis, and more commonly so in boys than girls. What causes ankylosing spondylitis? Genetics play a large role in this condition. More than 90% of people with ankylosing spondylitis have a particular genetic marker called HLA-B27, which ...