Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
You may think that arthritis is a disease that only affects older people. However, it can also appear in adolescence. In this article, we’ll talk about juvenile idiopathic arthritis, its symptoms and treatments.
What to know about juvenile idiopathic arthritis?
There is a false belief that arthritis is an inflammatory and rheumatic disease that only affects the elderly. However, these musculoskeletal system diseases can also occur at an early age. In this case, before the age of 16.
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is not one but several inflammatory diseases of unknown origin as yet. It can start in childhood or adolescence and persist throughout life.
This disease can be classified into: systemic arthritis, oligoarthritis, polyarthritis (negative or positive), psoriatic arthritis, undifferentiated arthritis and enthesitis.
In order to diagnose juvenile idiopathic arthritis, doctors must conduct different studies and analyze the symptoms. Thus, consultation with a rheumatologist is essential in these cases. If identified early, arthritis can be cured without affecting the future.
What are the symptoms of juvenile idiopathic arthritis?
Depending on the type of arthritis a young person has, certain symptoms or signs will be more evident. Some types, however, are not easily detected.
For example, generalized systemic arthritis presents with pain, joint inflammation, fever, and rash. In polyarticular arthritis, the disease affects at least five joints at the same time. In the pauciarticular, in turn, it compromises the knees and wrists.
Some of the typical symptoms of juvenile idiopathic arthritis are as follows:
- Inflamed, reddened and hot joints.
- sudden high fever
- Stiffness and joint pain.
- Limited movement, problems using extremities.
- Rash
- Pale skin, unhealthy appearance, swollen lymph nodes.
- low back pain
- Red eyes, eye pain, photophobia, vision changes.
If your child has at least one of these symptoms, take him or her to a specialist right away to be examined and the problem identified.
To detect juvenile idiopathic arthritis, several tests are performed, including blood test for rheumatoid factor, antinuclear antibodies, complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and HLA-B27.
Is there a treatment and cure for juvenile idiopathic arthritis?
If only one or two joints are affected and symptoms are mild, your doctor may prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, which may be enough to reduce symptoms. In patients with more severe pain, steroids may be indicated.
When the affected joints are more than three or four and the young person has a fever, inflammation of the lymph nodes, or a rash, the doctor usually prescribes antirheumatic drugs to reduce the symptoms. Among them are Methotrexate, Enbrel and Remicade.
To help with treatment, it is recommended that young people practice physical activity lightly and moderately. It is recommended that they do not rest, as this further damages the affected joints.
Physical therapy can be used to reduce pain and to increase movement in certain joints. Likewise, it is also possible to apply cold compresses to the affected area to reduce inflammation.
In addition, it is positive that children have the help of parents, friends and family, as well as psychological assistance, should the situation depress them or make them impatient. Many children lose their desire to leave the house or play with friends because of the pain they feel or out of shame.
In conclusion…
It is possible that patients diagnosed during the early stages of the disease can continue with their normal life, as long as they comply with the procedure of indicated treatments. In most cases, arthritis is stagnant and causes little joint pain.
The severity of the disease is characterized by the number of affected joints and the state of each one. It is worth noting that these children will be more prone to chronic pain or rheumatoid arthritis in the future.
