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Stories for Reprint
Ankylosing Spondylitis Affects Home and Work
By Ferdous Al-Faruque, MARRTC Staff
Ankylosing Spondylitis can cause severe pain and physical problems for people with the disease, but it can also have a big impact on their home and work lives. A recent study found that many American adults with the disease are disproportionably work disabled and have never married.
Ankylosing Spondylitis is a form of arthritis that attacks the spine, often causing severe joint and back pain, and sometimes deformity.
The study was conducted by the National Institutes of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases or NIAMS; Cedars- Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and three other universities. Researchers surveyed over 600 people with ankylosing spondylitis and found some common characteristics. People with the disease were more than twice as likely to have work disability compared to the general population. They were also almost 50 percent more likely to never have gotten married, and women with ankylosing spondylitis were less likely to have children.
Michael Ward, a rheumatologist at NIAMS and principal investigator of the study, says that although research has been done in the past on how ankylosing spondylitis affects people's work lives, this study is the first to look at the impact of the disease on people's social life when compared to the general population.
The researchers don't know why these disparities exist, but Ward thinks it may be due to a number of issues including pain. "They may be consequences of having a painful chronic illness during your young adulthood and middle age," he says. Dealing with the pain on a daily basis may put stress on people's work lives and personal relationships.
Ward says healthcare professionals need to understand that the disease can have a major impact on people's ability to work. "(It's important to recognize) that early and provide guidance, particularly for young people, to stay clear of very physically demanding occupations," says Ward. However, he also points out that despite the disparities, most people with the disease are still in the work force.
Ward says healthcare professionals also need to consider the social consequences people with the disease may face. Some of these issues include: never getting married, higher divorce rates, depression, problems with body image, and concerns about their future and the ability to provide for their family. He says healthcare providers could help people find ways of coping with these problems or at least refer them to a therapist.
One of the most interesting findings of the study was the fact that women with the disease were less likely to have children. Ankylosing Spondylitis is largely a hereditary disease, and according to Ward that can weigh heavily into whether people choose to have children. "There have been some concern and questions among people who have ankylosing spondylitis about the likelihood that they would pass this on to their children," he says. Women may worry about the impact of the pregnancy itself, such as additional stress on the spine, increased pain and stopping pain medications. However, Ward says it may be somewhat reassuring to know that many people with ankylosing spondylitis do have children.
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