How I live with ankylosing spondylitis: prognosis for life in men and women

The diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis – what is the prognosis for life? Will it be possible to maintain performance, you get to live to old age? Ankylosing spondylitis, or ankylosing spondylitis – pathology, the exact mechanism of development of which has not been studied. Fused spine, lose their elasticity, the joints of the elbows, knees, feet. Changing posture, there are severe pain, lost mobility.

The disease may not interfere with a normal life and work. It all depends on how the patient will heed the doctor's recommendations.

If you suspend the development of the disease, you will be able to avoid the worst of the forecast – complete loss of mobility and irreversible disruption of the internal organs. Peciency with ankylosing spondylitis are able to live, earn mental work. Women do not lose the ability to conceive and give birth to a healthy baby. But most importantly – if you do not start the problem, prediction of life expectancy will remain the same as in a healthy person.

The causes of the disease

The exact cause of ankylosing spondylitis modern medicine is not revealed. A working hypothesis about the development of ankylosing spondylitis the following:

• Patient in succession transferred antigen NLAV27. The antigen exists in the tissues of the joints and immune to infectious diseases;
• When the infection enters the body, it interacts with antigen and that starts to give the tissues of the joints new properties;
• The immunity of the person is considered to change the tissues of the joints for the infection and sends out lymphocytes to fight it;
• Lymphocytes deform the tissues of the joints, and an inflammatory process;
• Trying to overcome the inflammatory process, the body builds up new bone in the articular joints, and the spine fused, begins to resemble a stalk of bamboo.

On the occurrence of the disease and prognosis is affected by primarily genetic factors, while the second is a way of life. People experiencing back injuries, constant low temperature, infectious diseases are more likely to get sick.

Psychologists have also revealed the relationship between emotional background with ankylosing spondylitis. It is believed that many cases are constantly suppressed anger, stress and other emotional negativity.

The patient's quality of life

Ankylosing spondylitis affects the spine and joints of males at an early age. Female patients are much less likely to become victims of ankylosing spondylitis. Bechterew's disease develops slowly over time, you experience the following problems:

• Pain attacks approximately three to five in the morning;
• Limited mobility after sleep. If it gets better after the active charging;
• Chronic pain in bone heels;
• Pain in area of chest, hard to move her and as a consequence – to breathe;
• Constant spasms of the spinal muscles, atrophy;
• Curved lumbar disappears, the spine becomes flat;
• Rapid weight loss;
• Constant fatigue;
• Fever, bloodshot eyes;
• With the development of the disease patient skruchivali, tilting your head and body forward, much stooped, slightly flexes the leg at the knee joint;
• Shoots in the lumbar;
• Swollen knees;
• Dyspnea;
• Dizzy and a headache, plagued by bouts of high blood pressure and nausea in the case that the clamped vertebral artery;
• No way to turn but whole body.

Pain syndrome go away after warming compresses and ointments, exercise physical therapy.

Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic pathology, acute periods. In the worst case the patient becomes difficult to walk, sometimes bone fused completely and the ability to walk is lost. If bone breast change, appear stagnant processes in the lungs and inflammatory process, which may affect vital organs and worsen the prognosis.

The patient initially inflamed joints and ligaments, and then destroyed cartilaginous tissues of the joints accumulate calcium salts, grow dense tissue.

• Also read: headache from diseases of the spine

Most often, the inflammatory process appears in the sacrum area and then diverges on the back for all the major joints. Symptoms are caused by the disappearance of elasticity and mobility of the spine. In advanced cases it tacosteve completely. In the process, the patient begins to experience difficulties with movement upper and lower limbs, head. All these processes greatly impair the patient's quality of life, but may not reduce itduration.

Types of disease

Ankylosing spondylitis develops in the following ways:

• Retailchoice type – strain the spine and joints of pelvis, knees;
• Central – changes only the spine;
• Peripheral – affects the joints of the elbows and feet;
• Scandinavian – symptoms similar to rheumatoid arthritis;
• Visceral – the violation of the internal organs.

Prognosis of ankylosing spondylitis

If discovered ankylosing spondylitis prognosis is dependent on the following factors:

• When revealed pathology in childhood or adolescence;
• Which joint was deformed initially, the speed with which developed the disease of which the vertebral region involved (the worst picture is observed, if the first was modified pectoral or pelvic area);
• How nearby the affected joint;
• Develop in parallel other diseases, such as osteoporosis or osteochondrosis;
• Is there any symptoms of deformation of the connective tissues of internal organs;
• Difficult breathing due to the changed connections of ribs with vertebrae;
• Is there any chronic pathology of the internal organs;
• How well the patient reacts to the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

The more of these factors is diagnosed, the less comforting the prediction will be. Used in the diagnosis of common blood and biochemistry, radiography, Magnetic resonance and computed tomography. Based on available data, the doctor will prescribe medications to suppress the autoimmune course of the disease.

Usually the prognosis remains positive, if not observed:

• The rapid development of the disease that fails to stop;
• Strong deformation of the kidney symptoms of chronic failure;
• Damaged at an early age heart valve with symptoms of arrhythmia and heart failure.

The best prognosis is given if the start of a long remission, and the disease cease to develop. A female person easier to survive the disease, they less frequently develop severe condition, doctors allow them to get pregnant and give birth. Due to these pathological processes men have a fifty stiff in a bent position, which cannot change. Back at this stage of ankylosing spondylitis completely loses its mobility. Women in this condition usually comes only in old age, or not get it at all.

Most people with ankylosing spondylitis can safely engage in intellectual work. But the profession that involves the physical, is absolutely contraindicated. If the time to suspend the development of the pathological process, the patient can lead a normal life until old age. If the disease is neglected, the patient may completely lose their mobility, and possible death due to violations of the internal organs.

The forecast life expectancy of the patient can be considered favorable if the internal organs continue to function normally ten years after the onset of the disease.

Disability

When the spine loses its elasticity and becomes ossified, it may with regularity to make the person an invalid. The fade curves of the spine, it becomes similar to a straight bamboo stick. Officially disabled patients are rare. This verdict is given only in cases of severely disrupted the work of the spine, the articular joints of the pelvis and shoulders. Or in more serious cases – when the disease has affected the internal organs.

On average, patients with Bechterew's disease live for about seventy years. The prognosis for life more or less positive.

If in the early stages of ankylosing spondylitis symptoms are already pronounced and reduce performance, the patient can be assigned to the third invalid group. In the most severe cases may be rated first. The second group is assigned if there is a failure of the internal organs. In the case of the first group of people are already dependent and requires outside help.

Treatment

The main help people with ankylosing spondylitis become a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Use prescription medications account for up to five years. Drugs are used in high doses during the acute period, in a small – in the period of remission. Bechterew's disease use of most of these inexpensive drugs, such as Ibuprofen or Diclofenac. More expensive and modern – Movalis. If the disease is just beginning to manifest itself, these drugs will act very effectively, relieve pain and return performance.

As patients take NSAIDs for a long periods, it is necessary to control the gastroenterologist. Abuse of anti-inflammatory can cause the developmentor worsening of gastritis and gastric ulcer.

Other drugs – Sulfasalazine, Wobenzym. To locally relieve symptoms and improve prognosis, use:

• Dioxide compresses;
• Glucocorticoids injection;
• Therapeutic massage of the spine;
• Treatment with leeches.

To normalize the metabolism, need to give up bread and pasta, potatoes. Patients are encouraged to eat more meat and dairy products, pepper.

• Recommended reading: nutrition for ankylosing spondylitis

The sooner the diagnosed pathology, the faster the patient will be able to listen to the following tips, to make their life easier and improve the forecast:

• Every three months to pay a visit to the office of the rheumatologist. The disease is incurable, but the doctor will not allow it to develop at full speed, causing various complications;
• Every year to do x-ray examination of the joints and back, examined by highly qualified doctors to spot irregularities in the internal organs;
• Every month to visit an ophthalmologist to exclude inflammatory processes of the eye and blindness as a potential complication;
• To move. Inactivity is contraindicated just as strong load. Swimming, stretching, and regular Hiking can help slow the ossification of the spine. Run, lift weights and do martial arts this is not.