Ankylosing spondylitis, or AS, is inflammatory arthritis that causes chronic back pain and inflammation in certain parts of the spine and pelvic region. Sometimes, the condition causes the growth of a few sections of the spine, which fuse, causing stiffness and immobility in the patient.
When you have ankylosing spondylitis, you need to manage various things together along with certain lifestyle changes. Lifestyle habits play a very important role in managing your symptoms. A lot of what you do and don’t do can worsen your AS symptoms.
Let us learn about various lifestyle habits that may worsen your AS symptoms.
- Inactive Lifestyle
Living with AS is not easy. Due to continuous back pain, it becomes difficult to do physical activities. But a sedentary lifestyle may make your spine, muscles, and joints stiffer. You also miss out on various health benefits caused by daily exercise. Prepare a balanced exercise plan including low-impact activities to improve flexibility in the joints and reduce pain and stiffness caused by AS.
- Cigarette Smoking
According to the experts, there is some link between smoking and AS. It has been observed that smoking makes the symptoms worse. Smoking also reduces the effect of the treatment. Plus, the chances of bone fusions in the spine also increase. Cigarette smoking is bad for everyone’s health, and it can exacerbate AS symptoms.
- Drinking Alcohol
Consuming alcohol is also harmful to people with AS. According to experts, it affects gut health by disturbing the ratio of good and bad bacteria in it. It also affects people who are sensitive to gluten, as many alcoholic beverages contain gluten and affect the health of people with AS.
- Poor Postures
AS can affect your various body postures, including how you sit, stand, or lie down. Practicing good posture may help you alleviate pain, prevent any deformity in the spine, and make your back muscles strong. Always maintain a good posture when you sit or stand. Practice good posture while sitting on the chair. Keep your back straight, bend your knees at 90 degrees, touch your buttocks at the back of the chair, and touch your feet flat to the floor. Practice good posture when you walk around by keeping a book on your head.
- Skipping Medicines
A person with AS must accept the fact that the disease has no cure. But the right treatment and regular medications may help manage the symptoms. To manage the symptoms, the patient must stick to the treatment plan. Skipping the medicine or not following the doctor’s guidelines may lead to the progression of the disease.
- Gaining Too Much Weight
If you are overweight or obese, you may not be able to follow your daily exercise routine. The extra body weight also adds pressure to the bones and joints and increases pain levels. Obesity may also reduce the effect of the treatment and increase inflammation. Maintain your exercise routine and modify your diet plan to maintain a healthy weight.
- Chronic Stress
Stress may worsen your AS symptoms by keeping your body in an inflammatory state for a very long time. Manage stress by practicing deep breathing exercises, meditation, spending some time in nature, getting more rest, and doing different activities that make you happy. Visit icare4u for more information.
