ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS

ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of arthritis that affects your spine. It can cause pain, stiffness, and inflammation from your neck to your lower back. When you have this condition, the vertebrae in your spine can fuse together. This makes your spine less flexible and might lead to a hunched-over posture and trouble breathing. Early diagnosis and treatment can control the condition and prevent these and other problems.

Causes

• Genetically inherited, born with the HLA-B27 gene.
• Chronic tissue inflammation resulting from the continued activation of the body’s own immune system in the absence of active infection is the hallmark of an inflammatory autoimmune disease.

Signs & Symptoms

• Inflammation of the spine, joints, and other organs.
• Fatigue
• Pain and morning stiffness of the spine and sacral areas with or without accompanying inflammation in other joints, tendons, and organs.
• Expansion of the chest with full breathing can be limited because of rigidity of the chest wall.
• Severely affected persons can have a stooped posture. The symptoms of pain and stiffness are often worse in the morning, or after prolonged periods of inactivity.Patients who have chronic, severe inflammation of the spine can develop a complete bony fusion of the spine (ankylosis).
When to see a doctor

If you have joint pain or stiffness that doesn’t go away, make an appointment with your doctor.