Infectious Arthritis Symptoms
What causes infectious arthritis?
- Infectious arthritis is caused by a germ that has travelled through the body to a joint. The germ can be a bacterium, a virus or a fungus.
- The germ may have entered your body through the skin, nose, throat or ears, or through a wound.
- Often you may have already been sick as a result of the infection before it travels to the joints.
With infectious arthritis a germ has travelled through the body to a joint. The germ may have entered the body through the skin, nose, throat or ears, or through an existing wound.
Usually, there has already been an infection elsewhere in the body. For example, if you develop infectious arthritis from the bacterium pneumococcus, which causes pneumonia, you may have already experienced pneumonia in the lungs. After the initial infection, the germ can travel through the bloodstream to the joints, where it then settles and causes inflammation.
Bacteria cause most cases of infectious arthritis. The types of bacteria that might cause such infection include:
- gonococcus
- staphylococcus
- streptococcus
- pneumococcus
- hemophilus
- spirochetes
- tuberculosis
Certain viruses can also cause infectious arthritis. They include:
- infectious hepatitis
- mumps
- infectious mononucleosis
Fungi are the least common cause of infectious arthritis. They are usually found in:
- soil
- bird droppings
- certain plants, such as roses
Infectious arthritis is not transmittable from one person to the other, but some germs (such as those causing gonorrhoea and measles) can be spread by person-to-person contact. However, while these diseases can be passed on, this does not automatically mean the development of infectious arthritis is.
What can you do about infectious arthritis?
- If your doctor thinks you have infectious arthritis, he or she may perform a physical examination, and order x-rays and other tests. Your doctor will probably also ask questions about things like whether you have been sick from other illnesses, or have been in contact with other people who have infections.
- Most of the time infectious arthritis can be cured if it is treated early. Without treatment however, the affected joints can become very damaged and the infection can spread to other parts of the body.
- Learn as much as you can about this disease. Speaking with people who are specialists in arthritis care can provide you with the information you need.
Infectious arthritis is usually not a long-term illness. Most of the time it can be cured if it is treated promptly and properly. Without treatment however, the affected joints can become very damaged and the infection can spread to other parts of the body.
Establishing the correct diagnosis is important, so if your doctor thinks you have infectious arthritis, he or she may ask questions about the symptoms, other medical conditions, recent travel, illnesses, and contact with people who may have had infections. He or she may also perform a physical examination, and order x-rays and other tests to find out what germ is causing the infection. This can be done by using a needle to removing a sample of fluid from the joint so it can be examined. If tuberculosis or a fungus is the suspected cause, sometimes a small piece of tissue from the joint may need to be cut away and examined. If a virus is suspected, a blood test may be done because your body develops cells called antibodies to fight off the virus. These antibodies will show up in a blood test.
People with infectious arthritis are often put in the hospital for treatment. Sometimes affected joints must be drained of excess fluid that has built up. This is done by inserting a needle directly into the joint. This procedure is usually painless. Sometimes the same joint may need to be drained several times if fluid build-up recurs. Further treatment varies depending on what type of germ has caused the infection. Your active involvement in developing your treatment plan is essential.
