Reactive arthritis, also known as Reiter's syndrome or Reiters disease, is a form of arthritis that occurs as a reaction to infection elsewhere in the body.

Overall, men between the ages of 20 and 40 are most likely to develop reactive arthritis. Men are nine times more likely than women to develop reactive arthritis due to venereally acquired infections but women and men are equally likely to develop reactive arthritis as a result of food-borne infections. Women with reactive arthritis typically often have milder symptoms than men.

Reactive arthritis typically begins about one to three weeks after infection. Symptoms of reactive arthritis usually last three to 12 months, though in a small percentage of people the symptoms can return or develop into a long-term disease. Most people with reactive arthritis recover fully from the initial flare of symptoms and are able to return to regular activities 2 to 6 months after the first symptoms appear.

Reactive arthritis itself is not contagious but the bacteria that can trigger reactive arthritis can be passed from person to person. It is not understood exactly why some people exposed to reactive arthritis-causing bacteria develop reactive arthritis and others do not, but scientists have identified a genetic factor that increases a person's chance of developing reactive arthritis.

Reactive arthritis is associated with three symptom groups:
_ Joint inflammation.
_ Redness and inflammation of the eyes (conjunctivitis)
_ Inflammation of the urinary tract (urethritis).

The arthritis associated with reactive arthritis typically involves pain and swelling in the knees, ankles, and feet. Wrists, fingers, and other joints are affected less often. People with reactive arthritis commonly develop tendonitis which results in heel pain or irritation of the Achilles tendon at the back of the ankle. Some people with reactive arthritis also develop heel spurs. Approximately half of people with reactive arthritis report low-back pain.

Conjunctivitis develops in approximately half of people with reactive arthritis. Conjunctivitis can cause redness of the eyes, eye pain and irritation, and blurred vision. Eye involvement typically occurs early in the course of reactive arthritis.

There is no specific laboratory test to confirm reactive arthritis so diagnosis can be difficult. During the diagnostic exam, the doctor will likely take a complete medical history and note current symptoms as well as any previous medical problems or infections. The doctor may use various blood tests to help rule out other conditions and confirm a suspected diagnosis of reactive arthritis. The doctor also is likely to perform tests for infections that might be associated with reactive arthritis. Doctors sometimes use x rays to help diagnose reactive arthritis and to rule out other causes of arthritis.

Although there is no cure for reactive arthritis, some treatments relieve symptoms of the disorder. Arthritin, as a reactive arthritis natural cure, is a highly effective remedy for reactive arthritis.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce joint inflammation and are commonly used to treat patients with reactive arthritis. Some traditional NSAIDs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, are available without a prescription, but others that are more effective for reactive arthritis must be prescribed by a doctor.

For people with severe joint inflammation, injections of corticosteroids directly into the affected joint may reduce inflammation. Doctors usually prescribe these injections only after trying unsuccessfully to control arthritis with NSAIDs.

The doctor may prescribe antibiotics to eliminate the bacterial infection that triggered reactive arthritis. The specific antibiotic prescribed depends on the type of bacterial infection present.

A small percentage of patients with reactive arthritis have severe symptoms that cannot be controlled with any of the above treatments. For these people, medicine that suppresses the immune system may be effective.

Several relatively new treatments that suppress tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a protein involved in the body's inflammatory response, may be effective for reactive arthritis. These treatments were first used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

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