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Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of arthritis of the spine. It causes inflammation (swelling) between your vertebrae (the bones that make up your spine) and the joints between your spine and pelvis. AS inflammation can cause stiffness and make it difficult to move and bend.

Symptoms of AS can range from mild to severe back pain. Over time, AS can fuse (grow together) your vertebrae, limiting movement and causing a hunched posture. In some people, AS can affect other joints or body parts.

There is no cure for AS, but early treatment can help manage symptoms, slow down the disease, and help you lead a more productive life.

Ankylosing spondylitis usually starts before age 45. Early symptoms may begin between the ages of 15 and 30. Your chance of developing AS can also increase if:

• You're a man. AS is more common and severe in men.
• You have a family history. If a member of your family has AS, you're more likely to get the disease.
• You have other medical conditions that may increase your risk of getting AS. These include Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or psoriasis.

No one knows what causes ankylosing spondylitis, but the environment and genes likely play a role. Your genes are parts of DNA in your cells that are passed down from your parents. Certain genes may increase your risk of getting the disease, but not everyone with these genes gets AS.

AS affects people differently. The most common symptom is pain and stiffness in the lower back and/or hips. The pain is usually worse during the night or after sitting for a long time.

Over time, AS may progress to other areas of your spine or body. Symptoms may depend on which areas of your body the disease affects. Some people have symptoms that come and go. Others may have severe, ongoing pain.

Other symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis may include:

• Pain, stiffness, and inflammation of the joints.
• Difficulty taking a deep breath. This could occur if the joints connecting the ribs are affected.
• Changes in vision.
• Fatigue.
• Loss of appetite.
• Weight loss.
• Skin rashes, such as psoriasis.
• Abdominal (belly) pain and loose stools (poop).

There is no single test for ankylosing spondylitis. To find out if you have AS your health care provider may:

• Ask about your medical history, including your symptoms.
• Ask about your family health history, including relatives who have had AS.
• Do a physical exam.
• Order blood tests or imaging studies.

AS has no cure, but treatment may help relieve symptoms, maintain posture, and slow down the disease. Since other parts of your body can be affected by AS, you will likely work with a team of health care professionals for tests, diagnosis, and care.

Treatment usually includes medicine to help relieve symptoms and keep the disease from getting worse, as well as physical therapy to improve mobility. If AS is severe, surgery may be needed.

You can help manage your AS symptoms if you:

• Exercise
• Monitor your symptoms
• Manage your stress
• Use assistive devices as needed
• Follow a healthy diet
• Stop smoking, or don't start

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease

Most kinds of arthritis cause pain and swelling in your joints. Joints are places where two bones meet, such as your elbow or knee. Infectious arthritis is an infection in the joint. The infection comes from a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection that spreads from another part of the body. Symptoms of infectious arthritis include:

• Intense pain in the joint
• Joint redness and swelling
• Chills and fever
• Inability to move the area with the infected joint

One type of infectious arthritis is reactive arthritis. The reaction is to an infection somewhere else in your body. The joint is usually the knee, ankle, or toe. Sometimes, reactive arthritis is set off by an infection in the bladder, or in the urethra, which carries urine out of the body. In women, an infection in the vagina can cause the reaction. For both men and women, it can start with bacteria passed on during sex. Another form of reactive arthritis starts with eating food or handling something that has bacteria on it.

To diagnose infectious arthritis, your health care provider may do tests of your blood, urine, and joint fluid. Treatment includes medicines and sometimes surgery.

You may need an organ transplant if one of your organs has failed. This can happen because of illness or injury. When you have an organ transplant, doctors remove an organ from another person and place it in your body. The organ may come from a living donor or a donor who has died.

The organs that can be transplanted include:

• Heart
• Intestine
• Kidney
• Liver
• Lung
• Pancreas

You often have to wait a long time for an organ transplant. Doctors must match donors to recipients to reduce the risk of transplant rejection. Rejection happens when your immune system attacks the new organ. If you have a transplant, you must take drugs the rest of your life to help keep your body from rejecting the new organ.