It could be rare inflammatory arthritis
Mr Tan Chun Hau, an AS patient, with his wife and son. Mr Tan's struggle with AS initially took a toll on his work and family life. PHOTO: COURTESY OF TAN CHUN HAU, TNP FILE
When Mr Tan Chun Hau first started experiencing back pain in March 2019, he dismissed it as a typical muscle ache. As recommended by a polyclinic doctor, he took painkillers and applied plasters, expecting the discomfort to ease. Instead, the pain persisted and spread from his lower back area to his chest.
The 35-year-old mechanical engineer told The New Paper: "The pain in my chest made it very, very hard to breathe. I couldn't sleep well at night." Over the next three months, Mr Tan had two X-ray tests, four electrocardiogram tests and one computerised tomography scan, but received inconclusive results.
It was only after a blood test in June 2019 that he was given a confirmed diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a rare type of inflammatory arthritis that affects the spine, back joints and pelvis.
10 AS facts for World Ankylosing Spondylitis Day
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a form of inflammatory arthritis that primarily targets the back and pelvic joints. More than 3 million people in the United States live with AS.
World AS Day usually occurs on the first Saturday of May, but it moves to the second Saturday if the first one falls on May 1. In 2021, World AS Day will take place on May 8.
According to the Axial Spondyloarthritis International Federation, World AS Day aims to:
- raise awareness of the condition
- help people connect to support and care
- share information about AS
