Children can also get the problem of arthritis ...

Children can also get the problem of arthritis ...

 Juvenile arthritis (JA), also known as pediatric rheumatic disease, isn’t a specific disease. It’s an umbrella term to describe the inflammatory and rheumatic diseases that develop in children under the age of 16. These conditions affect nearly 300,000 kids and teens in the United States.

Most kinds of JA are autoimmune or autoinflammatory diseases. That means the immune system, which is supposed to fight against foreign invaders like viruses and germs, gets confused and releases inflammatory chemicals that attack healthy cells and tissue. In most JA cases this causes joint inflammation, swelling, pain and tenderness, but some types of JA have few or no joint symptoms or only affect the skin and internal organs. 

Causes

The exact causes of JA are unknown, but researchers believe that certain genes may cause JA when activated by a virus, bacteria or other external factors. There is no evidence that foods, toxins, allergies or lack of vitamins cause the disease.

 

The most common types of JA include:

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is the most common form of juvenile arthritis and includes six types: oligoarthritis, polyarthritis, systemic, enthesitis-related, juvenile psoriatic arthritis and undifferentiated. 

Juvenile myositis

An inflammatory disease that causes muscle weakness. There are two types: Juvenile polymyositis and juvenile dermatomyositis, which also causes rash on the eyelids and knuckles. 

Juvenile Lupus

An autoimmune disease that can affect the joints, skin, internal organs (i.e. heart, kidneys, lungs) and other areas of the body. The most common form is systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE. 
 

Juvenile scleroderma

Scleroderma, which literally means “hard skin,” describes a group of conditions that causes the skin to tighten and harden.

Vasculitis

This type of disease causes inflammation of the blood-vessels, which can lead to heart complications. Kawasaki disease and Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HCP) are the most common kinds in kids and teens. 

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain syndrome that can cause widespread muscle pain and stiffness, along with fatigue, disrupted sleep and other symptoms. It is more common in girls but rarely diagnosed before puberty. 
 

Here are some of the symptoms and health effects of JA:

Joints

May cause joints to look red or swollen and feel stiff, painful, tender and warm. This can cause difficultly moving or completing everyday tasks. Joint symptoms may worsen after waking up or staying in one position too long. 

Skin

Skin symptoms may include a scaly red rash (psoriatic), light spotted pink rash (systemic), butterfly shaped rash across the bridge of the nose and cheeks (lupus) or thick, hardened patches of skin (scleroderma). 

Eyes

Dryness, pain, redness, sensitivity to light and trouble seeing properly caused by uveitis (chronic eye inflammation). 

Internal Organs

Can affect internal organs such as the digestive tract (diarrhea and bloating), lungs (shortness of breath) and heart. 

Other symptoms include feeling tired or rundown (fatigue), appetite loss and high spiking fever. 
 

Diagnosis

A pediatrician may start to determine what’s causing symptoms, but parents may be referred to a rheumatologist (a doctor with specialized training in treating arthritis). Some rheumatologists only treat children, while others only treat adults. Some treat both. The doctor will ask questions about the child’s medical history, when symptoms started, how long they have lasted and about the child’s family history. He or she will also perform a physical exam to look for signs of JA, like limited range of motion, rash, eye symptoms and joint swelling, tenderness and pain.  Laboratory tests that look for inflammatory markers and imaging tests (X-rays, CT scans, MRIs) to look for signs of joint damage can also help rule out other causes like trauma or infection.  

Treatment

There is no cure for JA, but with early diagnosis and aggressive treatment, remission (little or no disease activity or symptoms) is possible. 

The goals of JA treatment are to:
•    Slow down or stop inflammation and prevent disease progression.
•    Relieve symptoms, control pain and improve quality of life.
•    Prevent or avoid joint and organ damage.
•    Preserve joint function and mobility for adulthood. 
•    Reduce long-term health effects.

A well-rounded plan includes medication, physical activity, complementary therapies (acupuncture, massage, mind-body therapies) and healthy eating habits. 

Medications

There are several kinds of medications used to treat JA. Some control disease activity and others relieve symptoms. Drugs that control disease activity include corticosteroids and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). 

Treatments

Corticosteroids

DMARDs

Drugs that relieve symptoms

Surgery

Nondrug Therapies

Physical Therapies and Assistive Devices

Self-Care

It’s important that children and teens make healthy lifestyle choices and use complementary therapies to manage the pain and stress of arthritis. These include:

Healthy Eating

Eating some foods, like those found in the Mediterranean diet (i.e. fatty fish, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and extra virgin olive oil), and avoiding others (high-fat, sugary and processed foods) may help curb inflammation. 

Hot and Cold Treatments

Heat treatments, such as heat pads or warm baths, work best for soothing stiff joints and tired muscles. Cold is best for acute pain. It can numb painful areas and reduce inflammation.
 

Topical Creams

These creams, gels or stick-on patches can ease the pain in a joint or muscle. Some contain the same drug that’s in a lozenge, and others use constituents that irritate nerves to distract from pain.  

Mind-Body Therapies

Meditation, deep breathing, distraction techniques (listening to music or reading) and practicing visualization can help relax and divert attention away from pain, especially during shot time.   

Massage and Acupunture

Massage may help reduce pain and ease stress or anxiety. Acupuncture involves inserting fine needles into the body along special points to relieve pain. If there’s a fear of needles, acupressure, which uses firm pressure, may be used instead.

Supplements

The use of supplements is rarely studied in children, but some supplements that help adults may help children, too. Ask a doctor about which supplements and vitamins may be helpful and which ones may cause side effects and medication interactions. 
 

Stress and feelings 

Kiddies and teens with habitual conditions are more likely to get depressed. Therapists and psychologists can help kiddies  deal with tough feeling and educate positive managing strategies. A strong support system of musketeers and family can also give emotional support during tough times.

fraternize

Children can meet musketeers at colours Arthritis Foundation JA events held throughout the time, and teens can share in the Foundation’s iPeer2Peer program, which matches them with a youthful  adult tutor who also has arthritis