Ankylosing Spondylitis is a chronic disease that affects the spinal bones and in most cases, it is a genetic disease. The joints between the bones in the spine as well as those between the spine and the pelvis get inflamed and after some length of time, the bones get fused together. The onset of the disease is usually gradual but it quickly progresses and in certain cases, affects the whole spine which becomes stiff and cannot be bent. When the spine becomes totally rigid, it is called a ‘bamboo spine’.
The disease affects males more than females (2:1) and sets in between the ages of 20 and 40 though there are instances when children of younger age groups are also affected. The ones who are affected have a gene known as HLA-B27 and the presence of this gene increases the chances of contracting this disease. Not everyone who has this gene suffers from the disease but it definitely acts as a marker to warn people that they are in danger of getting it. Today, there is a lot of research being done in this field and people tend to understand it a bit better than what they did earlier. There have been two more genes that have been identified with this disease and they are ARTS1 and IL23R. With so much progress being made, it is hoped that a cure for Ankylosing Spondylitis is just a short while away.
Ankylosing Spondylitis does not only affect the spine. It can also affect the eyes by causing inflammation in the iris and impairing the vision. It can also cause inflammation in the kidneys as well as arthritis in other joints. Women who suffer from this disease could suffer from pain in the hips, knees and ankles. It could cause pain in the heels, the joints of the big toe and pain around the breast bone. As the spine curves, the chest could also get affected with the lungs losing their capacity and breathing becoming difficult. This is a systemic disease so it tends to affect many organs in the body, not just the spine. In rare cases, it can even affect the kidneys by depositing protein in the kidneys which could lead to kidney failure. The disease can affect the heart as well in a few cases where it affects the electrical system of the heart and slows down the heartbeat. The aorta could get inflamed and the patient could experience dizziness or difficulty in breathing. In these patients, installing a pacemaker might be necessary.
While in most cases the progress of the disease is gradual, there are cases where it progresses rapidly. Though the pain in the spine goes away once the bones become fused, movement is impaired and there is a possibility of a fracture because of the rigidity. Most doctors will help the patients manage the pain with pain killers and anti-inflammatory medication. This disease cannot be cured right now, it can only be managed. However, with so much progress being made, maybe a cure will be here sooner than we think.