

If you have symptoms of reactive arthritis, you should see your GP, especially if you have recently had symptoms of an infection – such as diarrhoea, or pain when peeing. People who have a gene called HLA-B27 are much more likely to develop reactive arthritis than those who don't, but it's unclear why. But the exact reason for this is unknown. The body's immune system seems to overreact to the infection and starts attacking healthy tissue, causing it to become inflamed. You may also develop reactive arthritis if you, or someone close to you, has recently had glandular fever or slapped cheek syndrome. Typically, reactive arthritis is caused by a sexually transmitted infection (STI), such as chlamydia, or an infection of the bowel, such as food poisoning. Read more about the symptoms of reactive arthritis. They can come on suddenly but usually start to develop a few days after you get an infection somewhere else in your body.

Most people will not get all the above symptoms. This could be a symptom of iritis – and the sooner you get treatment, the more successful it is likely to be. See an eye specialist or go to A&E as soon as possible if one of your eyes becomes very painful and the vision becomes misty. eyes – causing eye pain, redness, sticky discharge, conjunctivitis and, rarely, inflammation of the eye (iritis).genital tract – causing pain when peeing, or discharge from the penis or vagina.The most common symptom of reactive arthritis is pain, stiffness and swelling in the joints and tendons, most commonly the knees, feet, toes, hips and ankles. Men and women of any age can get it, but it's more common in men, and people aged between 20 and 40. In most cases, it clears up within a few months and causes no long-term problems. It usually develops after you've had an infection, particularly a sexually transmitted infection or food poisoning. Reactive arthritis is a condition that causes redness and swelling (inflammation) in various joints in the body, especially the knees, feet, toes, hips and ankles.
