Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that primarily affects the spine and sacroiliac joints. The term “ankylosis” means stiffness, forced uprightness, etc. For the spine, it mainly refers to the inability to move the cervical and lumbar spine, which simply means the inability to turn the head from side to side, nod the head, and bend the back, etc. Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic progressive disease, patients often show low back pain, morning stiffness, thoracic pain and pain in the peripherally involved joints in the early stages, and with the development of the disease, the later stages are mainly manifested as deformed bony ankylosis of the neutral and peripherally involved joints, loss of mobility of the joints, the patient’s ability to take care of themselves, social adaptability, employment and work are affected to varying degrees. AS has chronic and progressive characteristics, which makes the disease last for a lifetime, and the patient suffers from pain and suffering at the onset of the disease.
The epidemiological survey found that the prevalence of ankylosing spondylitis is closely related to region, age, gender and race. The age of onset is mainly between 15 and 30 years old, and there are more men than women, with a male to female ratio ranging from 3 to 20:1 in various countries. Also, according to studies, the strongest correlation between the onset of AS and human leukocyte antigen-B27 (HLA-B27) has been found, and the proportion of positive carriers of this antigen varies greatly by race, leading to differences in the prevalence of AS.
Currently, the etiology of ankylosing spondylitis is not clear and the mechanisms are unclear. Scientists have found that the HLA-B27 gene is associated with AS, and the gene can be found in most patients, but there are also many people who contain the gene who do not develop the disease.
1, gender factors: the incidence of men is twice as high as that of women
2. Age factor: most patients develop the disease in their “young adulthood”.
3. Genetic factors: AS is a highly hereditary disease, with a higher incidence in relatives of AS patients than in normal people.
Diagnosis and treatment of ankylosing spondylitis
The diagnosis of AS is easy to confirm and not easily misdiagnosed or missed. Many people know about this disease and associate it with this “terminal disease” once they have a backache. There are many lesions that occur in the spine, cervical spine, tailbone and other parts of the spine, and there are many more causes of back pain, the most common of which is disc herniation. The lack of clarity about the cause of AS has resulted in no effective cure for the disease to date. However, if patients with AS are diagnosed and treated promptly, they can control their symptoms and improve their prognosis. Through a combination of non-pharmacologic, pharmacologic and surgical treatments, pain and stiffness can be relieved, inflammation can be controlled or reduced, good posture can be maintained, spinal or joint deformities can be prevented, and deformed joints can be corrected if necessary to improve the patient’s quality of life.
In particular, it is important to remind that
1, any advertisement about curing AS or having “amazing” efficacy, regardless of whether the treatment method is “advanced” or “ancient recipe”, is a fraud.
2. Some drugs have good effect in treating AS (such as Enzyme), but they may cause tuberculosis, infection and tumor.
Use correct and reasonable care
1. Dietary care: High protein and nutritious foods such as meat and fish should be the mainstay, along with vitamins and calcium, such as fruits, vegetables and milk, and alcohol and smoking should be prohibited. Also should avoid eating unclean food and drinking raw water, and eat less cold and chilled food, so as not to cause diarrhea.
2, drug care: should take medication on time, not arbitrarily add and subtract medication, taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and methotrexate drugs during the prohibition of alcohol.
3, psychological care: ankylosing spondylitis patients psychological problems are mainly manifested in anxiety, fear and disappointment, adverse psychological factors are not conducive to disease recovery. You should keep your mood relaxed and avoid overexertion.
4, prevention of colds: pay attention to warmth, avoid close contact with people who have colds; vaccinations can be given, such as the annual influenza virus and pneumococcal vaccination.
5.Hygiene and environment: Keep your home clean and properly ventilated.
6.Recovery care.
(1) When standing, pay attention to chest, stomach and eyes level, do not stand in one position or sit too long, often walk and stretch the body;
(2) chair to choose a hard seat and armrests, straight back, avoid bending the body forward, avoid sitting in a low and soft chair or sofa;
(3) sleep on a hard bed, it is appropriate to lie on your back to avoid flexion deformity, the pillow should not be too high or not pillow, the pillow as low as possible to prevent cervical deformity, can choose a soft feather pillow;
(4) side-lying alternately, to avoid maintaining a posture for a long time, in addition to the daily morning or bedtime can be prone 5min.
7, adhere to the exercise: effective increase in spinal mobility, improve spinal function, can control the development of the disease. In the control of joint pain at the same time, should be timely, progressive joint activities. More suitable exercises are jogging, swimming and tai chi. If you have hip joint lesions, you should insist on regular physical therapy and develop a set of suitable physical therapy exercises according to your condition. Effective and correct functional exercises can reduce disability, so that patients can live and work normally and improve their quality of life.