Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month is now upon us, July of 2015. That’s right; children can get arthritis too. In fact, 300,000 children a year are diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis. If you have experienced arthritis from the wear and tear of joints from old age, you know how agonizing this affliction can be. With the misconception that only the elderly can get arthritis, it is important to be aware that small children can experience these
aches and pains too.
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One in every 250 children, ages 16 or younger, are diagnosed with the incurable condition of Juvenile Arthritis. Juvenile Arthritis is somewhat of an umbrella term for several different types of arthritis, separated into three types: Juvenile Chronic Arthritis (JCA), Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), and Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA). JRA, the most common, presents itself in children as joint pain, limping, swollen joints, stiffness, or clumsiness. In more severe cases, Juvenile Arthritis can affect the entire body with a fever, rashes, and swollen lymph nodes. If these symptoms are apparent and persist for more than a week, it is time to take your child to the doctor. It is important to recognize that your child has the disease early on, due to possible permanent complications such as glaucoma and blindness from eye inflammation, or growth problems from poor bone development.
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Although this is not a curable disease, symptoms can be treated with a variety of different doctors and therapies. Doctor’s main concern in cases of Juvenile Arthritis is that the child maintains an active, social, and healthy childhood regardless of this disease. Pain and symptoms may be suppressed with medication, physical therapy, and in some cases, surgery.
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Juvenile Arthritis is not linked to any known cause. For unknown reasons, Juvenile Arthritis is derived from an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks its own tissues and cells. Scientists are constantly working towards a greater understanding of this disease, as the number of cases increase year after year.
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If you feel passionately about this cause and would like to donate or find ways to help, there are several foundations that are available such as the Arthritis Foundation, the Arthritis National Research Foundation, and the Juvenile Arthritis Association.
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Even if your child is never diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis, it is important to recognize the unsuspecting diseases a child may be susceptible to. Having an awareness about these types of unfortunate diseases is important to keeping a close eye on your child’s health, as well as your own.
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Follow this link for the full version of the July newsletter:
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