Is It Arthritis or Venereal Disease?

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Is It Arthritis or Venereal Disease?

Microbe causes most arthritis in young men

A minor epidemic of arthritic knees recently sidelined soccer players in the

United Kingdom. Doctors discovered, however, that these athletic young men

hadn't acquired their injuries on the soccer field but in the bedroom,

reports

The Times of London.

The culprit was Chlamydia trachomatis -- better known for causing pelvic

inflammatory disease in women. Left untreated, Chlamydia can cause Reiter's

syndrome, which shares some of the symptoms of arthritis. Reiter's is also

known as sexually acquired reactive arthritis. Both men and women can

develop

Reiter's syndrome. Arthritis-like symptoms (swelling, redness, heat and

pain)

usually appear in the knees, ankles and feet. Eye inflammation can also

occur,

as well as symptoms of urinary tract infection, such as a burning during

urination or a discharge.

Bacteria other than Chlamydia can also trigger Reiter's syndrome.

Campylobacter, salmonella, Shigella and Yersinia can cause the condition

following an infection in the digestive tract. But, regardless of the

bacterium

at fault, once doctors diagnose the condition, Reiter's can be treated,

although the symptoms may linger for several months. A fact sheet from the

National Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases provides a detailed

description of Reiter's syndrome, diagnosis and treatment.

Celebrity may have been the biggest risk factor for the mini-epidemic among

the

British soccer players. " Footballers are young, rich and have plenty of

spare

time and most have an active and varied sex life, " suggested King, an

orthopedic surgeon at the London Independent Hospital.