Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis or JRA is the most common
form of arthritis in young children. It is
characterized by joint inflammation and stiffness in a
joint for a child who is age 16 or less. The
degree of pain, stiffness, and inflammation vary among
the children. If a joint has any of these signs for
6 weeks or more, then a classification of JRA is made.
The
doctor classifies the type of JRA depending on several
factors. The type of JRA is usually determined by
the number of joints affected and by a blood test to
determine if a certain antibody is present in the
blood. The 3 types are described below.
Pauciarticular - The most common form with 4 or
fewer joints affected. Approximately 50% of
children with Juvenile Arthritis have this type.
Approximately 20-30% of children develop eye
inflammations with Pauciarticular Arthritis.
Polyarticular - The second most common form
with 5 or fewer joints affected. Usually affects
close to 30% of children who have JRA.
Polyarticular JRA can affect small and large joints but
the smaller joints such as the hands and wrists are more
likely to show the disease. Usually, if one joint
is affected, such as your hand, the other joint in the
opposite hand is affected. An antibody determined
by a positive blood test for
rheumatoid factor (RF) occurs in 5-10% of children.
Systemic - Systemic JRA can affect the entire
system or body. It affects approximately 20% of
child with JRA. The internal organs such as the
heart, liver and spleen can be impacted. Children
with this disease often develop high fevers and/or
rashes.
Doctors have to carefully evaluate the symptoms to
determine if a child has Juvenile Rheumatoid
Arthritis. A combination of joint pain, persistent
fever, rashes can all help the doctor in his
diagnosis. Blood work is also used to help rule out
other diseases and to look for the "Rheumatoid
Factor". Also, the final determining factor in
diagnosis is the length of time that the child exhibits
these symptoms.
Treatment options are available for children with JRA
and are listed below:
Nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Aspirin, ibuprofen, and napoxen are commonly used to
treat initial symptoms of JRA. Additionally,
Doctors also have prescription forms of NSAID's which can
be effective.
Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs
(DMARDs)
This is usually second stage treatment and must be
prescribed by a physician. These drugs slow the
progression of the disease but take anywhere from 2-6
months to take effect. Hydroxychloroquine
(Plaquenil) and Sulfasalazine (Azulfadine) are two
examples of DMARDs.
Corticosteroids
These steroids like
Prenisone are sometimes used in severe forms of JRA.
The possible side effects include increased appetite,
weight gain, moodiness, sleeplessness, reduced resistance
to infection, high blood pressure, delayed growth and
mild forms of diabetes.
Alternative
and Complimentary Therapy
Many people are seeking alternative methods to
treating JRA and have improved success with altering
their diets and combining vitamin supplementation with
chondroitin and gluclosamine. An example of a
commercially tested product is Free & Easy for
People. It contains quality amounts of chondroitin
and gluclosamine along with many other ingredients such
as MSM and Ester-C.
