Joint Pain
Joint pain symptoms of reactive arthritis typically involves pain and swelling in the:
Wrists, fingers, and other joints are affected less often. People with reactive arthritis commonly develop tendinitis. In many with reactive arthritis, this results in ankle pain or Achilles tendinitis. Some with reactive arthritis also develop heel spurs, which are bony growths in the heel that may cause chronic foot pain. Approximately half of people with reactive arthritis report low-back and buttock pain.
Reactive arthritis also can cause spondylitis or sacroiliitis. People with reactive arthritis who have the HLA-B27 gene are even more likely to develop spondylitis and/or sacroiliitis.
Eyes
Conjunctivitis, an inflammation of the mucous membrane that covers the eyeball and eyelid, develops in approximately half of people with reactive arthritis. Some people may develop uveitis. Conjunctivitis and uveitis can cause:
Eye involvement typically occurs early in the course of reactive arthritis, and symptoms may come and go.
Sores
Around 25% of men with reactive arthritis develop small, shallow, painless sores on the end of the penis. A small percentage of men and women develop rashes or small, hard nodules on the soles of the feet and, less often, on the palms of their hands or elsewhere. Some with reactive arthritis develop mouth ulcers that come and go, for some, these ulcers are painless and go unnoticed.
