Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatments

Most adults in the United States have heard of or know somebody who suffers from arthritis. In my family arthritis has affected both my mother and grandmother at different stages of their lives. Commonly it is thought that only adults in their older years can suffer from arthritis, but this is not always true. In reality, arthritis can affect anyone at any age, and at any time. Arthritis that is found in younger children is commonly referred to as juvenile arthritis. While there are many forms of juvenile arthritis we will focus solely on juvenile rheumatoid arthritis or JRA. Children that suffer from JRA can experience symptoms ranging from several weeks to several months. In certain cases, symptoms can last the duration of their lives.

More than 50,000 children in the United States currently suffer from some form of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The exact cause of juvenile RA is not yet known. Like other forms of rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile RA is considered an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease affects the body in several distinct manners. One's blood cells lose the ability to determine the difference between healthy and unhealthy/dangerous cells. In turn, the body releases cells that can do more harm to healthy tissue and organs. Normally, these cells are used to fight viruses and other dangerous cells within the body. There have been several cases where the development of a virus during early childhood helped promote the body's susceptibility to RA.

Early diagnosis of juvenile RA usually begins with pain and four or more joints, uncommonly high fever, as well as a host of other unique symptoms. The diagnosis of juvenile RA normally begins with a thorough medical examination from a qualified physician. Usually, several detailed blood tests are needed to differentiate your child's symptoms from several other common (less dangerous) conditions. Treatment of juvenile RA is very similar to treatment of adults who suffer from the same symptoms. Several drug manufacturers have produced injections and oral medications that help the body inhibit its response towards normal cells. These medications may sometimes be injected directly into the joints or into very sensitive areas such as behind the head. If your child is suffering from pain in the hand or ankle joints, use of a hot wax bath is sometimes recommended. While this sounds rather strange, dipping affected of body parts in a hot wax baths, and allowing the wax will in pardon on the skin provides almost instant, but temporary relief. Contact your insurance provider to determine if these types of treatments are covered by your current insurance plan.