Although the name may sound complicated, ankylosing spondylitis (pronounced an-kih-LOH’-sihng spahn-dih-LY’-tihs), is essentially a type of arthritis that primarily affects the spine, but it can move to other joints. It affects about 1 percent of the U.S. adult population; that’s about the same percentage of people who are affected by rheumatoid arthritis, although AS is far less well known. In ankylosing spondylitis, inflammation causes chronic pain and stiffness, and the severity can vary from person to person. There’s no cure for AS, but certain healthy lifestyle tactics can help make living with ankylosing spondylitis easier.
9 Surprising Facts About Ankylosing Spondylitis
1. Ankylosing spondylitis tends to strike at a young age. Unlike other forms of arthritis, AS often appears between ages 17 and 45, according to the Spondylitis Association of America. The peak age of onset is 20 to 30 years old, according to a review published in the journal Anaesthesia. However, children as well as adults over 45 can also be affected. 2. Back pain is not the only symptom. The most common early symptoms of AS are frequent pain and stiffness in the lower back and buttocks that comes on over the course of a few weeks or months. At first, you may experience discomfort on one side, or alternate sides, but ultimately, you’ll typically feel pain on both sides, usually lasting for at least three months. But back pain is not the only sign of ankylosing spondylitis. Besides affecting the spine, AS can also cause problems in the joints of the hips, shoulder blades, ribs, heels, thighs, hands, feet, and neck. 3. Joints aren’t the only body parts affected by ankylosing spondylitis. “Besides the joints, manifestations of ankylosing spondylitis may include the eyes — with uveitis, which presents as acute eye pain, blurred vision, and sensitivity to light,” says Elyse Rubenstein, MD, a rheumatologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. It can also affect the cardiovascular system and is associated with aortic regurgitation, she says, in which blood in the heart flows in the reverse direction. Also, the pulmonary system can be at risk for developing lung abnormalities. 4. Men are at greater risk for ankylosing spondylitis. The condition occurs 2 times as often in men than it does in women, according to the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center. Other risk factors include having the HLA-B27 genetic marker (a gene found in 90 to 95 percent of people with ankylosing spondylitis), having a family history of AS, and experiencing frequent gastrointestinal infections. 5. Ankylosing spondylitis can be to blame for a “hunchback” appearance. “When ankylosing spondylitis affects the upper part of the neck, it can create significant kyphosis — the medical term for a hunched back — and cause the head to collapse forward, resulting in a chin-on-chest deformity,” says Neel Anand, MD, medical director of spine trauma surgery at the Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles. “People with kyphosis are unable to look straight, as their neck is stiffened in a downward gaze position.” 6. Smoking worsens ankylosing spondylitis. Although smoking isn’t healthy for anyone, it’s especially important not to smoke if you have ankylosing spondylitis. According to a study published in June 2013 in the journal Expert Review of Clinical Immunology, smoking can lead to more severe AS, less function, and lower quality of life, in addition to negatively affecting the lungs and heart. 7. Ankylosing spondylitis can cause the spine to fuse. “Ankylosing spondylitis, as the name suggests, fuses (ankyloses) the spine (spondyl),” Dr. Anand says. “The ligaments surrounding the spine become bony tissue, and the term ‘bamboo spine’ is commonly used, as the spine becomes one long and rigid bone.” 8. Ankylosing spondylitis may be linked to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). About 2 to 3 percent of people with IBD also have ankylosing spondylitis, according to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. IBD is a term for certain conditions that involve chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. In people with the genetic marker for AS, ankylosing spondylitis sometimes develops after urinary or bowel infections. Having ankylosing spondylitis may also foreshadow the development of an IBD. 9. Rest might not be best for ankylosing spondylitis. Discomfort caused by ankylosing spondylitis is typically worse after resting. Back pain from AS is generally better after exercising or taking a hot bath or shower. If you have persistent back pain that doesn’t respond to self-help strategies, see your doctor for a thorough examination and the proper evaluation needed to diagnose ankylosing spondylitis.
