Juvenile arthritis

 "IN ALL THIS WORLD NOTHING SO BEAUTIFUL AS A HAPPY CHILD".........


YES but this disease  tests the patience of the doctor and the patient......As I have treated many cases here we will b learning the symptoms of this irritating disease.Y it is called irritating ? Because it burns our happiness...I know a patient whose mother told her not to become a doctor as she have rheumatoid arthritis her mother told her to take literature she don’t want her child to suffer because of this disease


JUVENILE REUMATOID ARTHRITIS (JRA) is a type of arthritis which is also known as Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, is a common condition in children below 17 years of age. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis leads to bone stiffness, swelling and stubborn joint pain. The symptoms vary patient to patient, some patients have the signs and symptoms for a few months while others may have them throughout their lives.


THE COMPLICATIONS WHICH ARE MOST SUFFERED ARE

EYE PROBLEMS

  • The patient suffering from juvenile arthritis can get uveitis. 
  • If it is left untreated, it can result in cataracts, glaucoma and even blindness. 
  • In JRA eye inflammation frequently occurs without symptoms, so it’s important for children with juvenile RA to be examined regularly by an ophthalmologist.

GROWTH PROBLEMS

  • Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis can affect the child’s growth and bone development.
  •  Some medications used to treat juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, mainly corticosteroids, can inhibit growth too.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

  • Persistent joint pain, morning stiffness, swelling, usually in smaller joints of hands and feet.
  • Redness or inflammation in one or more joints of the body.
  • Warm, Swollen and tender joints are affected in a symmetrical pattern or joints of both side of body is affected.
  • Fever with fleeting rashes
  • Swollen lymph nodes, especially the neck lymph nodes.
  • Preference for one arm or leg over the other, due to inflammation or pain.
  • Limping walk, often due to knee stiffness after waking up
  • Excessive clumsiness
  • Generalized fatigue and feeling of unwell.
  • Sleep disturbances.
  • Fever and headache.
  • Restricted movement in the affected joints.
  • In advanced stages there are deformities in the joints.
  • RA nodules or firm lumps under the skin of pressure points such as knuckles, fingers, hands and elbows.



CAUSES

Though, the exact causes of juvenile arthritis are still unknown. However, JRA is considered to be an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks its own cells and tissues. And reasons which trigger it can be

  • Genetic mutations that cause the immune system to act abnormally and attack its own cells.
  • Could be an environmental trigger, such as a virus or a bacterial infection.

In Ayurveda, there are three energies or Humors – vata, kapha and pitta are responsible for the health of an individual. AGGRAVATED VATA AND KAPHA DOSHAS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR JOINT PROBLEMS. But in Amavata, alonwith vata aggravation, accumulation of ama (toxin) in the body causes the joints pain and inflammation. 

There are various factors like lifestyle and improper eating habits which causes vata aggravation and ama formation.

ASSOCIATED FACTORS THAT MAY WORSEN THE CONDITION

  • GENETIC PREDISPOSITION – The chances of getting JRA if one of your family members has a history of juvenile arthritis are more..
  • At all ages, females are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than males.
  •  Psychologically, stress can worsen the symptoms. As it increases vata dosha.
  • Sex hormones may play a role in causing or modulating arthritis.


DIAGNOSE

  • ERYTHROCYTE SEDIMENTATION RATE (ESR) – Helps to diagnose JRA and determines the degree of inflammation.
  • C-REACTIVE PROTIEN – This blood test is also used to measure the levels of general inflammation in the body but on a different scale than the ESR.
  • ANTI NUCLEAR ANTIBODY – Anti-nuclear antibodies are proteins commonly produced by the immune system of patients with certain autoimmune diseases, including arthritis.
  • RHEUMATOID FACTOR – It checks the presence of antibody in the blood of children with rheumatoid arthritis.
  • CYCLIC CITRULLINATED PEPTIDE (CCP) – Just like the rheumatoid factor, the CCP is another antibody that may be found in the blood of children with JRA.
  • EVALUATION OF FAMILY HISTORY – Check how many of patient’s family members are suffering with JRA. Also keep track of the family history of other autoimmune diseases as they also increase the risk of developing JRA.

PATHYA AHARA/RECOMMENDED FOOD

  • Warm water infused with Panchkola (Pippali, Pippalimula, Chavya, Chitraka, Shunthi) in small quantity at a time helps in digestion and digestion of Aama.
  • Barley, horse gram, kodo millet and the red variety of rice should be consumed. These food items are light and easy to digest. Barley kernels and products made from barley lower the inflammatory markers.
  • Green leafy vegetables and fruits contain a variety of polyphenols, catechins, carotenoids,  bioflavonoids, vitamin C, riboflavin, vitamin E, and low molecular weight compounds. These constituents have antioxidant, fibrinolytic and anti-inflammatory properties. Vegetables, specially with bitter taste like bitter melon (Memordica charantia), Neem (Azadirachta indica), Patola or luffa, Gokharu (Tribulus terrestris) should be consumed.
  • Spices like ginger, turmeric and garlic help to add flavor to these dishes and also have antimicrobial, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties besides their Agni enhancing property.
  • Asava and Arishta.



APATHYA AHARA OR FOODS YOU SHOULD AVOID

The majority of allergens come from dairy and animal products, which cause an increased production of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins.

  • Cold and impure water
  • Lentils like Urad and heavy foods(heavy to digest).
  • Vegetable like arabi or eddo (Colocacia antiquorum) Indian spinach (Basella rubra).
  • Fish and sea foods.
myself DR.kavitha dev ayurveda practitioner residing in chennai

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