Ankylosing spondylitis: what are the symptoms of the disease Louane suffers from?
"I'm in pain all the time." Singer Louane announced in a podcast in early September that she suffers from a condition called ankylosing spondylitis, also called axial or peripheral spondylitis depending on the areas affected. Unlike osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis "often appears between the ages of 20 and 30, but sometimes in adolescence or later," according to the French health insurance . It affects approximately 180,000 people in France.
Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the joints. The number one symptom is pain. At first, the disease manifests itself as flare-ups of back pain. Later, the pain can affect the buttocks or even the chest, and in about half of cases, the joints of the arms and legs. This is the case for Louane. "I have pain all the time," especially "in my knees, ankles, and wrists," she confided.
According to the Vidal website, these pains occur mainly at night and in the morning. And " unlike pain related to osteoarthritis, they are not relieved by rest." While some patients have pain all the time—as seems to be the case with Louane—most only experience it in attacks. The singer was also pleased that she hasn't "had a real attack" that has "prevented her from walking" for a "really long time."
Aside from pain, ankylosing spondylitis also often causes fatigue, and can also cause loss of appetite and weight, fever, night sweats, etc. Other parts of the body can be affected, including the eyes, intestines, skin, or heart. For example, chronic inflammatory bowel disease or psoriasis are common in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
The young woman also clarified that she was "no longer taking medication." The treatment is comprehensive to reduce pain and the frequency of flare-ups: medications such as anti-inflammatories or long-term treatments, regular physical exercise, rehabilitation... Louane, for her part, is now focusing on her diet and exercise. " I pay attention to what I eat so that it's not too inflammatory, and I do a lot of Pilates, it helps me a lot."
But there is currently no treatment to cure the disease. It progresses slowly and variably, and can sometimes become more severe. "The affected joints are damaged and can gradually stiffen to the point of total ankylosis, which leads to significant deformation and discomfort," according to the French Health Insurance.
L'Internaute
