Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis define as arthritis which affected the children under the age of 16 years. It causes pain swelling and hardening of joint which limit the movement.
Symptoms
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis present the following signs and symptoms:
- Fever
- Swollen lump nodes
- Rash
- Pain
- Limited joint movement
- Stiffness and hardening
Causes
The exact causes of juvenile idiopathic arthritis is not known yet but many hereditary and environmental factors play huge role in the development of this condition. It may assume that our own body’s immune system starts to damage its own body cell. Many bacterial and viruses stimulate the immune system to start the reactions.
Complications
Complications of juvenile idiopathic arthritis include:
- Growth problems due to the disturbances in bone development and medication which inhibit the growth.
- Eye problems such as uveitis, cataracts, and glaucoma which leads to the blindness.
Diagnosis
It is difficult to diagnosis by only history or physical examination because signs and symptoms mimic the other inflammatory condition which affects the joint so your doctor might recommend the following tests to diagnose this disease:
- C-reactive protein to check the extent of inflammation
- Antibody test to check the immune reaction
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate to check the degree of inflammation
- A blood test to check the complete count of blood cells
Treatment
The aim of treatment is to reduce the inflammation and prevent the complications.
Medications
- Biologic agents. This include the tumor necrosis factor and etanrecept, these medications help to control the systemic inflammatory reaction.
- Nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs to reduce the pain and inflammation
- Corticosteroid like prednisone also help to control the inflammation and reduce the sign and symptoms.
Therapies
Physical therapy may help to reduce the stiffness at joint and increase the joint movement without causing pain.
Surgery
Severe cases require surgery to prevent the complications.
Lifestyle and Home Remedies
Home remedies include:
- Icing at joint reduce the swelling and pain
- Warm therapy reduce the stiffness at joint
- Exercise regularly to increase the flexibility of joint
- Eat a healthy food