BENGALURU: When kids complain about pain in joints, it is mostly believed and considered that lack of calcium is the main reason behind it. The concern moms make dietary changes so as give more calcium to their kids in the form of supplement etc.
On the persistence of the pain they tend to give pain-killers and some home care such as massaging of the joints and muscles etc. But in wildest of their dreams they cannot imagine the severity of the problem about which they are ignorant. This problem could be Arthritis. Many think Arthritis is a condition seen mainly in adults, while it’s important for parents to recognize that Arthritis can affect children.
The Arthritis that kids get is very different from that of adults — it’s actually an attack by the immune system and has nothing to do with the degeneration of cartilage.The condition is not hereditary.
There are several types of Juvenile Arthritis. The Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, or JRA, is the most common form of Arthritis in children.
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis may be difficult to diagnose because some children may not complain of pain at first, and joint swelling may not be obvious. There is no blood test that can be used to diagnose the condition. X-rays of joints may identify other possible conditions including infections or fractures, but cannot diagnose arthritis in early stage. Joint and tissue fluids can also be checked.
It occurs more frequently among girls than boys. The JRA often affects the joints of the fingers and hands but can also affect the knees, hips, ankles, jaw, feet or neck. This form of JRA affects no more than four joints and generally impacts large joints such as the knees, ankles or even elbows, sometimes even single joint can be affected. A rare form of arthritis in children is Systemic Onset JRA, which affects the child’s internal organs as well as the joints. This is accompanied by a high fever that may last for an extended period of time, a rash of pale red spots that may come and go and joint inflammation that may occur simultaneously with the fever or may begin much later.
Dr. Ramesh Jois, Consultant-Rheumatology Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road