Juvenile Arthritis TreatmentJuvenile rheumatoid arthritis is a term that refers to a group of diseases that affect children and are manifested by chronic joint inflammation.
It affects nearly three million children in the United States alone. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is an auto immune disease that occurs when the body’s immune system starts attacking healthy cells in the body. It manifests itself in different forms and maybe termed as polyarticular, pauciarticular, or systemic juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
Symptoms of Juvenile Arthritis
The common symptoms associated with juvenile arthritis include pain and swelling in joints such as the knees, hips, ankles, feet, wrist, and neck.
There may be low or high grade fevers and in some cases the iris may be inflamed. There may also be rashes and small bumps on the skin of the patient and the lymph nodes and spleen may be enlarged.
Diagnosis for all types of Juvenile arthritis is carried out based on the patient’s medical history, physical examinations, X-rays, and blood tests. These tests are necessary because there are several other ailments that mimic these symptoms.
Arthritis juvenile rheumatoid treatment is based on the type of juvenile arthritis and the severity of infection.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) drugs are commonly used to treat all types of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The most common NSAIDs include naproxen, ibuprofen, tolmetin, diclofenac, and indomethacin. Sulfasalazine may also be used to treat children suffering from persistent pauciarticular and polyarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
Long term use of NSAIDs is discouraged because these drugs wear away the stomach lining, leading to acidity and indigestion.
In addition to NSAIDs, corticosteroids may also be used to fight the inflammation. These are usually administered intravenously, or injected directly into the affected joints.
In case the arthritic attack is prolonged, immunosuppressive medicines such as etanercept and methotrexate are used. These drugs suppress the immune system so that the progress of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is retarded.
However, suppression of the immune system also leaves the body susceptible to other infections.
Physical therapy also plays an important role in the treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Regular exercise and gentle stretching of the affected joints is recommended as it strengthens the muscle and increases the flexibility of the joints. Low impact activities such as walking, swimming, and bicycling have shown to be highly effective in combating this disease.
Parents should ensure that their children get sufficient exercise everyday. High impact sports such as football could further damage the joints and should be avoided.
|
|
