| JUVENILE
ARTHRITIS
The
Facts Put Simply
.
Learn
About Juvenile Arthritis and Equip Yourself To Fight Back!
What
Is Juvenile Arthritis? |
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), also called Juvenile
Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) and Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), is
a general term for the most common types of arthritis in children. It
is a chronic disease that affects the lining of the joints in children
under 16 resulting in joint pain and inflammation.
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Juvenile Arthritis facts:
|
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Who is at risk to get
Juvenile Arthritis?
| Juvenile
Arthritis is a disease of adolescents which usually occurs
before the age of 16
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Causes of Juvenile Arthritis
| The
medical community doesn't know
exactly what causes Juvenile
Arthritis
Research indicates that it is an autoimmune disease.
Autoimmune disorder means that the body
mistakenly identifies some of its own cells and tissues as foreign. The
immune system, which normally helps to fight off harmful, foreign
substances such as bacteria or viruses, begins to attack healthy cells
and tissues. The result is inflammation--marked by redness, heat, pain,
and swelling. Doctors do not know why the immune system goes awry in
children who develop JIA. Scientists suspect that it is a two-step
process. First, something in a child's genetic makeup gives them a
tendency to develop JRA; then an environmental factor, such as a virus,
triggers the development of JIA.
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Symptoms of Juvenile
Arthritis |
Juvenile Arthritis symptoms:
• Joint stiffness on arising in the morning
• Limited range of motion
• Slow rate of growth or uneven arm or leg growth
• Hot, swollen, painful joints
• A child may stop using an affected limb
• Back pain
Systemic JIA symptoms:
• Fever, usually high fevers every day
• Rash that comes and goes with the fever
• Swollen lymph nodes (glands)
JIA can also cause eye inflammation. These symptoms
include:
• Red eyes • Eye pain
• Photophobia (increased pain when looking at a light) •
Visual changes
Other signs include:
• enlarged liver
• enlarged spleen
• swollen lymph nodes
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What can you do to prevent
Juvenile Arthritis? |
There is no known prevention for
Juvenile Arthritis and scientists
continue to investigating and research the possible causes.
Researchers suspect that both genetic and environmental factors are
involved in development of the disease and they are studying these
factors in detail.
To help explore the role of genetics, the National Institute of
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) has established
a research registry for families in which two or more siblings have
JRA. NIAMS also funds a Multipurpose Arthritis and Musculoskeletal
Diseases Center (MAMDC) that specializes in research on pediatric
rheumatic diseases including JRA.
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|
What
can you do to combat
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis? |
The goals of treatment for JIA are to reduce pain and
inflammation, maintain range of motion in the joints, prevent
complications and support the patient and family through a long chronic
illness.
• Doctors may recommend physical therapy
• The doctor may tap the affected joint. This means that they will put
a small needle into the joint that is swollen. The goal is twofold, to
help to find the cause of the arthritis and to help the joint feel
better by removing fluid.
• Surgical procedures may be indicated, including joint replacement.
• Doctors may recommend one or more of several types of medication
o Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications may be
helpful in reducing milder symptoms o For moderate symptoms,
doctors may prescribe disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs),
such as methotrexate. These drugs slow the progression of JIA, but can
take weeks or months to reach effectiveness.
o In children with severe JIA, corticosteroids may be necessary. These
drugs reduce inflammation. However, the drugs must be used cautiously
because they can interfere with growth, weaken bones and increase risk
of infection.
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How Can the Family Help a
Child Live Well With JIA?
|
JIA
affects the entire family who must cope with the special
challenges of this disease. JRA can strain a child's participation in
social and after-school activities and make school work more difficult.
There are several things that family members can do to help the child
do well physically and emotionally.
• Treat the child as normally
as possible.
• Ensure that the child receives appropriate medical care and follows
the doctor's instructions. Many treatment options are available, and
because JRA is different in each child, what works for one may not work
for another. If the medications that the doctor prescribes do not
relieve symptoms or if they cause unpleasant side effects, patients and
parents should discuss other choices with their doctor. A person with
JIA can be more active when symptoms are controlled.
• Encourage exercise and physical therapy for the child. For many young
people, exercise and physical therapy play important roles in managing
JIA. Parents can arrange for children to participate in activities that
the doctor recommends. During symptom-free periods, many doctors
suggest playing team sports or doing other activities to help keep the
joints strong and flexible and to provide play time with other children
and encourage appropriate social development.
• Work closely with the school to develop a suitable lesson plan for
the child and to educate the teacher and the child's classmates about
JIA. (See the end of this booklet for information about Kids on the
Block, Inc., a program that uses puppets to illustrate how juvenile
arthritis can affect school, sports, friends, and family.) Some
children with JIA may be absent from school for prolonged periods and
need to have the teacher send assignments home. Some minor changes such
as an extra set of books, or leaving class a few minutes early to get
to the next class on time can be a great help. With proper attention,
most children progress normally through school.
• Explain to the child that getting JIA is nobody's fault. Some
children believe that JIA is a punishment for something they did.
• Consider joining a support group. The American Juvenile Arthritis
Organization runs support groups for people with JIA and their
families. Support group meetings provide the chance to talk to other
young people and parents of children with JIA and may help a child and
the family cope with the condition.
• Work with therapists or social workers to adapt more easily to the
lifestyle change JIA may bring.
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Do Children With Juvenile
Rheumatoid Arthritis
(JRA) Have To Limit Activities? |
Although pain sometimes limits physical
activity, exercise is important
to reduce the symptoms of JRA and maintain function and range of motion
of the joints. Most children with JRA can take part fully in physical
activities and sports when their symptoms are under control. During a
disease flare-up, however, the doctor may advise limiting certain
activities depending on the joints involved. Once the flare-up is over,
a child can start regular activities again.
Swimming is particularly useful because it uses many joints and muscles
without putting weight on the joints. A doctor or physical therapist
can recommend exercises and activities.
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