Reaction
Reactive arthritis is a type of arthritis that occurs as a "reaction" to an infection elsewhere in the body. Inflammation is a characteristic reaction of tissues to injury or disease and is marked by:
Besides this joint inflammation, reactive arthritis is associated with two other symptoms:
These symptoms may occur alone, together, or not at all.
Reiter's
Reactive arthritis is also known as Reiter's syndrome, and your doctor may refer to it as a seronegative spondyloarthropathy. The seronegative spondyloarthropathies are a group of disorders that can cause inflammation throughout the body, especially in the spine. Examples of other disorders in this group include:
Infection
In many, reactive arthritis is triggered by a venereal infection in the bladder or urethra, or, in women, the vagina that is often transmitted through sexual contact. This form of the disorder is sometimes called genitourinary or urogenital reactive arthritis.
Another form of reactive arthritis is caused by an infection in the intestinal tract from eating food or handling substances that are contaminated with bacteria. This form is sometimes called enteric or gastrointestinal reactive arthritis.
Symptoms of reactive arthritis usually last 3 to 12 months, although symptoms can return or develop into a long-term disease in a small percentage of people.
