Ankylosing Spondylitis: Causes, Symptoms & Risk Factors

Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic disease that causes pain in the joints between vertebrae and between the spine and the pelvis. The disease may also cause pain in other parts of the body.

Genetics

• No specific cause has been found for ankylosing spondylitis, but patients with the HLA-B27 gene are at significantly higher risk of developing the disease, according to MayoClinic.com.

Risk Factors

• Men are more likely than women to develop the disease. The disease usually strikes those between late adolescence and age 40.

Eyes

• This disease may cause eye inflammation, which can lead to blurred vision and sensitivity to light.

Heart

• The heart's valves may become inflamed if the inflammation reaches the heart. This could cause the aorta to become distorted (aortic valve regurgitation).

Smoking

• Patients with this disease should quit smoking immediately, according to MayoClinic.com. Ankylosing spondylitis may make breathing more difficult, and smoking could add to that difficulty.