Definition and causes
Children may suffer from the same type of arthritis as adults, while children gout (Stills disease / Juventil ledegigt) is an illness affecting only children. In Denmark, suffering some 1,000 children of rheumatism, and each year is about. 100 new cases of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Children Gout occurs because of an abnormal response in the body's immune response, reflected by inflammation in one or more joints and provide pain and swelling.
The cause of JRA is unknown, but sometimes several members of a family affected, suggesting a degree of inheritance. Possibly to external factors such as a viral infection also play a role.
Children Gout occurs in several degrees, and if a child only hit of gout in milder form, it will often be able to continue with its normal activities of daily living. In severe cases of JRA child will both develop deformed joints and be hampered in his movement.
Different types of JRA
Children Rheumatic parts into three types, depending on how many joints are affected by the disease, and what specific symptoms appearing.
Up to four affected part
This is the most common form of JRA, and it affects mostly girls under school age. The symptoms are inflammation, stiffness and pain in up to four parts, and there is a risk that the child develops eye disease Uvetis. Typically, ledene to its knees, ankles and wrists were hit by gout. For the most part the course of this type of JRA mild, and will in part go by itself after a few years. In other spreads the disease itself, unfortunately, to other joints, and here, a more intensive treatment be needed
Several affected part
Again, this type of JRA framework most girls, and even seen both in children below school age and from older children. The symptoms include inflammation, stiffness and pain in at least five joints. Here is both small and large part be affected, including fingers, wrists, knees and ankles.
Other forms
There are several other types of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, where both girls and boys are affected equally frequently, and where in addition to inflammation, swelling and pain in joints also appear swollen glands, fever and rash. In the worst cases of these variations of the disease, there will be no lasting change in the child's body.
What can be done?
If there is suspicion that your child has one of the above types of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, your doctor will probably recommend that the child will be affected under the X-ray photographed, and to take blood samples to see if there is specific antibodies present, which also characterizes the disease.
Because there are several different types of JRA, it is important that the child is examined by doctors with the expertise to make it to get the just treatment that works best in precisely the case.
The goal of treatment is to reduce inflammation, minimize damage to ledene and soothe the child's pain. If the child is hit by børnegigten in milder form, it may only be used for general pain and inflammation-inhibiting drugs. In more severe cases, it may be necessary to deal with stronger medicines as cortisone preparations or the like.
Rheumatic Children should also be treated with physiotherapy in order to preserve ledenes mobility and muscle strength as much as possible. Hot-water training is very good example.
Children Rheumatic may disappear after a period of years, but children with more severe degrees of the disease can get but in the form of deformed part, and in some gigten continues to be present even in adulthood.
Rigshospitalet and Skejby Hospital have specialty divisions for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, the Arthritis Affected Children THE PARENTS (www.gbf.dk) and Rheumatism Association (www.gigtforeningen.dk) provide you with additional information.
Also read the article "Stills disease - (Juventil ledegigt)".
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