Greetings!
The month of July is Juvenile Arthritis Month. Lets be aware of this disease that affects over 300,000 children and how to treat it! To receive a diagnosis, a child should be younger than 16 and have initial swelling in one or more joints for at least six weeks.
We hope this newsletter helps you towards that goal. Please share this with all your fellow employees, friends and family members.
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Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
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What is Juvenile Rheumatoid A
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Facts
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rthritis?
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is a form of arthritis in children ages 16 or younger that causes inflammation and stiffness of joints for more than six weeks. Unlike adult rheumatoid arthritis, which is chronic and lasts a lifetime, children often outgrow juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. However, the disease can affect bone development in the growing child.
The disease can be classified into three categories based on the number of and which joints are involved, the symptoms present and their duration, and the presence of specific antibodies produced by the immune system. These three variables often help physicians determine the progression of JRA and include the following:
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Pauciarticular - This form of JRA affects about 50 percent of children with this disease, involving four joints or fewer. Large joints, such as the knees, ankles, or elbows are typically affected.
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Polyarticular - Nearly 30-40 percent of children with JRA are affected by this type of the disease, which affects five or more joints. Polyarticular disease is more serious and tends to affect the small joints, such as the hands and feet, and often on both sides of the body.
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Systemic - Systemic onset JRA (also called Still's disease) is the most serious, but least common form of the disease, affecting 10-15 percent of children with JRA. It affects one or more joints and causes inflammation of internal organs, including the heart, liver, spleen, and lymph nodes.
Source: My Doc Hub
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