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Adult-onset Still’s disease is a rare type of inflammatory arthritis that develops unexpectedly in early adulthood. It can cause a variety of systemic symptoms, most often muscle pain, a fever and a rash. Sometimes, it’s temporary, and sometimes, it’s long-lasting. Anti-inflammatory medications can help suppress the inflammation.
The primary symptoms include:
Other common symptoms include:
At first, adult-onset Still’s disease might feel a lot like a virus or the flu. Symptoms like a fever, body aches and a sore throat resemble many common illnesses. You and your healthcare provider might become more suspicious when your symptoms still haven’t gone away after two or three weeks V体育平台登录.
Inflammation in your body causes the symptoms of adult-onset Still’s disease. Your immune system usually generates inflammation to fight infections and heal injuries. It’s supposed to be a temporary intervention VSports注册入口. But in certain diseases, like AOSD, your immune system malfunctions and generates inflammation continuously, even when there’s no infection to fight or injury to heal.
Researchers still don’t know exactly why this happens V体育官网入口. Like juvenile Still’s disease (juvenile idiopathic arthritis), adult Still’s disease is idiopathic, which means the cause is unknown. It doesn’t appear to be genetic.
The symptoms of adult-onset Still’s disease resemble many other conditions. And as it’s rare, a healthcare provider might not suspect it right away. It can be a process to get to the right diagnosis VSports在线直播.
After reviewing your symptoms and health history, your provider will order blood tests and imaging tests to learn more about your condition. Imaging tests, like X-rays or an ultrasound, can show inflammation and swelling in your joints. Blood tests can help rule out other conditions. If your blood test shows high levels of ferritin along with a high white blood cell count, these signs point to AOSD.
Healthcare providers treat adult-onset Still’s disease with various types of anti-inflammatory drugs. Different medications work better for different people. It can take some trial and error to find which ones work best to manage your symptoms. Once you do, you may need to continue taking them for a long time, even when you’re not having symptoms. This helps to keep the inflammation from building up again.
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Some medications can have negative side effects if you use them too long. If you take these medications, your provider will switch them around from time to time to prevent side effects.
Medications may include:
In most cases, AOSD will impact your quality of life more than your long-term health. It’s uncomfortable and can interfere with day-to-day activities, but it won’t necessarily do lasting damage to your body.
However, some people do develop progressive, degenerative arthritis. This is more likely with chronic AOSD than with other types. Inflammation in your joints can cause them to deteriorate if it’s severe enough and lasts long enough. As inflammation erodes the cushioning around your joints, they can start to shift out of place. Swelling and misalignment can cause painful deformities in your joints.
Rarely, inflammatory processes related to adult-onset Still’s disease may also affect your internal organs, including your heart and lungs. This can lead to more serious complications. While AOSD alone doesn’t usually affect your life expectancy, some of these secondary conditions can rarely be fatal.
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Rare but serious complications include:
Medications can’t cure AOSD, but they can help suppress your symptoms. For some people, symptoms will eventually go away and not come back. This is called remission. If you go into remission, you can discontinue your medications. For some people, AOSD never really goes away. You may need to take medications indefinitely to keep the inflammation under control.
It’s hard to predict which prognosis you should expect. However, some healthcare providers believe that your early symptoms are a clue. If you have pain and swelling in many joints early on, it’s more likely to be longer lasting.
Many people living with adult-onset Still’s disease can have a normal and comfortable life with the right medications. Others may struggle with chronic pain and chronic fatigue that comes and goes, impacting their daily life. Whether or not the symptoms of AOSD continue to trouble you much, you might experience various side effects from your medications, including weight gain and mood changes.
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When uncontrollable factors add constant stress to your life, basic self-care matters all the more. Good quality sleep, nutritious food choices and regular, low-impact exercise will help you feel better overall.
Adult-onset Still’s disease is a mysterious condition that develops unexpectedly and for unknown reasons. When it first develops, you may feel very ill for an unusually long time. It might take some time and effort for your healthcare provider to figure out what’s going on. Fortunately, once you have your diagnosis, you can begin treatment and begin to feel better.
While it might take some juggling to find the best formula for you, most people can reduce their discomfort and prevent serious complications with medications. Your healthcare provider will be your partner in managing AOSD for as long as it lasts.
Adult-onset Still’s disease is a rare type of arthritis that develops suddenly. Learn how we diagnose this condition and the treatments we offer.
Last reviewed on 07/05/2024.
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