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Robert Peston health: ITV editor recovered from ‘reactive arthritis’ – what is it?
Robert Peston issues warning over ‘cold winter’
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Robert Peston is renowned for his politically charged interviews and analysis, but a shock diagnosis quickly put the importance of his health into stark focus. Since being told he had reactive arthritis, the 57-year-old realised the need for a break from his fast-paced career at the forefront of British politics. Despite having made a full recovery, this painful condition can cause long-term issues for some sufferers – but what exactly is it? How is it treated?
What is reactive arthritis?
Reactive arthritis is most often a short-lived condition which causes inflammation of the joints.
According to the NHS, this painful condition is more common in men, with most cases falling in the 20 to 40-year-old age bracket.
Robert Peston received his diagnosis in January 2013 when he suddenly felt as though he couldn’t move in the middle of the night.
He told The Times: “I had totally seized up. My back and neck were locked and my knees and ankles swelled up. I crawled out of bed in agony.”
Mr Peston’s painful experience is not uncommon, with two of the most well-known symptoms of reactive arthritis being stiffness and swelling of the joints.
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What are the common symptoms of reactive arthritis?
Reactive arthritis usually occurs as a result of an infection elsewhere in the body.
The NHS states that food poisoning (bowel infections) and sexually transmitted infections are two of the most common causes of this form of arthritis.
In some cases, the body’s immune system could also overreact to glandular fever exposure or slapped cheek syndrome – both of which can trigger reactive arthritis.
Symptoms tend to include:
- Joint pain
- Stiffness
- Swelling in the joints and tendons
The knees, feet, toes, hips and ankles are all commonly affected by the sudden onset of symptoms.
Though it is rare, some RA sufferers might experience symptoms in their genital tract or eyes, including:
- Pain when urinating
- Genital discharge
- Eye pain
- Eye redness
- Sticky discharge from the eye
- Conjunctivitis
According to the NHS: “If you have symptoms of reactive arthritis, you should see your GP, especially if you have recently had symptoms of an infection – such as diarrhoea, or pain when peeing.”
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How is reactive arthritis treated?
Once reactive arthritis has been diagnosed, treatment is usually focused on targeting the infection that may have caused it and managing the associated joint pain.
As with most illnesses, it is important to let your body rest and recover from the infection in order to speed up the healing process of this often short-term condition.
Robert Peston’s own experience of recovery was largely focused on taking care of himself and most importantly, taking time off to recover.
He told The Mail on Sunday: “All my joints swelled up and I was very weak for a period. I took about six weeks off, but fortunately, I have made a full recovery.
“I think my body was just saying, “Stop! You have to be kinder to yourself.”
Reactive arthritis is treated with four main categories of medications, including antibiotics, anti-inflammatory painkillers, steroid medication and disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).
Antibiotics
Using antibiotics to treat this condition will not target the reactive arthritis itself, but can be useful to treat an ongoing infection.
A course of antibiotics will often be prescribed to treat a sexually transmitted infection linked to RA in order to rid the body of the trigger.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen can be taken to relieve pain and reduce swelling or inflammation.
Over the counter painkillers usually work well for this and do not need to be prescribed.
Steroid medication
Severe inflammation should be treated with prescribed steroid medications and can also be used for people who can’t take ibuprofen or other painkillers.
Steroids come in a number of forms but there are two main types used to treat reactive arthritis:
- Tablets will be given to sufferers experiencing pain across several joints
- Steroid injections will be given to target one or two affected tendons or joints
Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs)
Prolonged symptoms which don’t subside can be treated with DMARDs.
These unique drugs work to reduce inflammation and can be prescribed in conjunction with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs should be taken long term for the results to appear.
Common side effects of taking DMARDs include:
- Feeling six
- Diarrhoea
- Loss of appetite
- Headaches
- Changes to the blood or liver
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