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Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
According to experts, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is more
than a single disease, and is in fact, a group of diseases that
manifests as chronic joint inflammation. If there is
inflammation of the joint as well as stiffness for a period
exceeding six weeks in a child not older than sixteen years of
age, it will be termed as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. It
will result in redness; swelling, warmth as well as soreness of
the joints which are caused by inflammation while any joint can
be affected and inflammation can inhibit mobility of the
affected joints.
Can Even Affect Internal Organs
It is also possible for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis to affect
internal organs, and the number of joints involved, symptoms as
well as presence or absence of antibodies will all determine
how this condition is classified. Furthermore, this condition
is an autoimmune disorder, though doctors cannot exactly
determine why the immune system goes awry in children having
such a condition.
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis may be a two-step process that is
thought to be due to the genetic makeup of the child as well as
environmental factors such as viruses that trigger this
condition. The most common symptoms of juvenile rheumatoid
arthritis are persistent joint pain, and swelling as well as
stiffness that get worst in the mornings or after taking a nap.
Pain can limit the movement of the affected joint and is very
common to knees as well as joints in the hands as well as
feet.
The earliest signs of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis are limping
in the morning due to an affected knee, and there can also be
high fever as well as a small amount of skin rash, which may
appear as well as disappear rapidly. In a few instances,
internal organs such as the heart, and in extremely rare
instances, the lungs may also be involved.
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis requires special expertise on the
part of rheumatologists for them to be able to provide proper
care for patients, and pediatric rheumatologists are trained in
pediatrics as well as rheumatology to be able to handle the
complexities of children having arthritis and other rheumatoid
diseases.
The aim of those that treat juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is to
preserve high levels of physical as well as social functioning,
and to help patients enjoy a good quality of life. In order to
achieve these aims, medications are required as also physical
therapy. There are several types of medications available
including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,
disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, corticosteroids, and
biological agents that can be used to treat children with
juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
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