Reactive Arthritis is not the same as normal direct arthritis, as reactive arthritis in name value suggest that it is a reaction to something else. It is a condition that closely resembles arthritis and is caused by another disease ; it is the combination of three symptoms that present themselves usually at the same time. Those reactions are conjunctivitis (which is a swelling or inflammation of the eyes) inflammatory arthritis of large joints (such as the knees hips, elbows, shoulders, and ankles), and also a very painful urethritis. It is more common in white males between the age of twenty and forty, and also with people infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV - which is a retrovirus and sexually transmitted disease - although blood can also transmit it).
Symptoms of reactive arthritis usually appear within a week to a month from the onset of the infection caused by disease with the first symptom afflicting the urinary tracts followed by the eyes and then the large joints in the body and specifically more common than not the knees. Another symptom that is not prevalent in every case but in many cases are the occurrence of hard nodules on the feet and the hands, along with ulcers in the mouth that come and go. A minority of those with the condition also experience cardiac manifestations of the condition that could prove to be fatal if not treated in time.
Treatment involves the identification of the cause through bacterial growth plates, and identification of the infection source or sources followed by antibiotics to eradicate the germ infestation that is causing the symptoms. However if none is found the only other real option is to treat each symptom as it occurs with some needing to resort to immunosuppressants for control. Reactive Arthritis can last from a few weeks to in the most severe cases a full year, with recurrence happening in less than half of all the cases, however for those with recurrent Reactive Arthritis repeated bouts over several years are common and most of the patients end up with lifelong and debilitating arthritis as a result, along with heart disease and occular deficiencies that can in the most extreme cases render the afflicted person blind.