Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic disease characterized by severe inflammation of the joints--primarily within the spine and pelvis. This disease can affect people of any age but is most commonly diagnosed in men between the ages of 20 and 30, explains Up To Date, a peer-reviewed medical information website for patients. Ankylosing spondylitis can cause a number of complications that affected patients should discuss with a doctor.
Difficulty Standing or Walking
Inflammation of the spinal column due to ankylosing spondylitis can lead to sensations of pain within the lower back or neck, which may interfere with a patient's ability to stand or walk normally. This disease can also progressively degrade the joints between the bones along the spine--called vertebrae. When this occurs, the vertebrae may fuse together making it difficult to bend the spine, explain doctors at The Mayo Clinic. As a result, patients with this disease can experience severe difficulty walking and may eventually need to use a cane, walker or wheelchair to move about.
Eye Inflammation
Up to 40 percent of ankylosing spondylitis patients develop eye inflammation--a condition called iritis or uveitis--as a complication of this disease, warn health officials with the Spondylitis Association of America. The symptoms of eye inflammation require immediate medical intervention and can include redness, pain or difficulty seeing normally. Eye inflammation symptoms caused by ankylosing spondylitis may occur in either one or both eyes and typically resolve following treatment with specific anti-inflammatory eye drops that are prescribed by a doctor.
Difficulty Breathing
Patients with ankylosing spondylitis can experience significant difficulty breathing as a complication of this medical condition. Inflammation within the spinal column can extend into the ribs or chest, which can lead to stiffness within these body regions, explains Up To Date. If this occurs, a patient can have difficulty expanding the chest normally when inhaling. These complications of ankylosing spondylitis can cause patients to experience breathing difficulties, such as shortness of breath.
Heart Inflammation
Spinal column inflammation because of ankylosing spondylitis can radiate into the heart muscle and cause heart-related complications, explains The Mayo Clinic. Prolonged inflammation within the heart muscle can lead to heart valve damage or leakage, which typically require surgical intervention to repair.
Intestinal Ulcers
Ankylosing spondylitis increases a patient's risk of developing stomach-related complications. Affected patients can develop ulcers within the digestive tract along the intestine (colon), explains Up To Date. Intestinal ulcers can cause bowel changes and abdominal discomfort but may not cause symptoms in certain patients.
