What is Juvenile Arthritis?

Juvenile arthritis is an autoimmune disease where the body produces antibodies that attack the cells of individuals under the age of 16, which can cause permanent damage. Approximately 300,000 children are affected by this each year.  There is no cure for this condition, although there are ways to stop the process and induce permanent remission.  There are no current treatments that can cannot undo the damage already done to the joints and internal organs.

 

Symptoms include:

• Joint pains

• Stiffness in movements

• High fever

• Rash

• Lethargy

• Difficulty with physical activities

• Loss of appetite

• Swelling

 

The most common types of this malady are:

Juvenile Myositis: Disease that inflames and weakens muscles, making it painful to move.

 

Juvenile Lupus: Affects the joints as well as internal organs; heart, lungs, kidneys, skin, and joints.

 

Juvenile Scleroderma: The body produces too much collagen and causes the skin to thicken and harden in patches.

 

Diagnosis

Juvenile arthritis can be diagnosed upon physical examination, as well as through multiple laboratory tests by taking urine, blood to check cell count (platelets, red, white), and fluid from tissues and joints. X-rays help rule out bone damage as well as the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to check the joints and surrounding tissues through vivid imaging.

 

Treatments

Upon diagnosis, there are ways to halt the disease from causing further impairment of the joints and organs through certain techniques and remedies. Physical movement and therapies are one of the most important ways to reduce the effects of this condition, essentially warming the joints to allow movement. Some other ways include:

 

Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDS) – Medications that remediate or suppress the underlying causes of a disease and reduces inflammation.

 

Corticosteroids – Steroids that are usually in the form of an injection put into a single affected joint but can also be taken orally as a pill.

 

Health conscience eating – Children who have this condition have a very poor diet either gaining or losing too much body mass, it is important to feed them a healthy diet to aid in maintaining a normal weight.