What is reactive arthritis?

Reactive arthritis is also known as arthritis urethritica, venereal arthritis and polyarteritis enterica. Reactive arthritis is a chronic form of arthritis featuring the following three conditions: 

1. inflamed joints; 
2. inflammation of the eyes (conjunctivitis); 
3. inflammation of the genital, urinary or gastrointestinal systems.

This form of joint inflammation is called "reactive arthritis" because it is felt to involve an immune system that is "reacting" to the presence of bacterial infections in the genital, urinary, or gastrointestinal systems It is set off by a preceding infection, the most common of which would be a genital infection

Signs and symptoms Reactive arthritis

Reactive arthritis is a chronic form of arthritis featuring the following three conditions:

1. inflamed joints; 
2. inflammation of the eyes (conjunctivitis);
3. inflammation of the genital, urinary or gastrointestinal systems

The classical presentation is that the first symptom experienced is a urinary symptom such as burning pain on urination (dysuria) or an increased need to urinate Other urogenital problems may arise such as prostatitis in men, and cervicitis, salpingitis and/or vulvovaginitis in women. Usually affects the large joints such as the knees causing pain and swelling with relative sparing of small joints such as the wrist and hand.

Causes of Reactive arthritis

As mentioned, reactive arthritis is felt in part to be genetic. However, exposure to certain infections seems to be required to trigger the onset of the disease.

Certain types of bacteria cause reactive arthritis. If you have reactive arthritis one of these types of bacteria may have already made you sick.

The bacteria that cause reactive arthritis are some of those that cause food poisoning or other illness of the intestine. The names of these bacteria are Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter and Yersinia The bacteria that cause the disease chlamydia can also lead to reactive arthritis.

After the bacteria cause you to get sick they can travel through your body to other areas, where they then cause inflammation.

Reactive arthritis cannot be passed from one person to another.