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    Juvenile Arthritis Treatment Options

    Posted on: May 24th, 2013 by BrevardBlogger 3 Comments

    In our last blog post we introduced you to juvenile arthritis and talked a little bit about how prevalent it is in the United States. Today, we’ll go Juvenile Arthritis Treatment Brevard Medicalover other basic information and treatment options.

    The Arthritis Foundation gives on great advice on this. Having arthritis will affect the entire family. That’s why it’ so important to stick to as many of your child’s daily routines and comforting habits as possible. Having arthritis should be part of your child’s life – not the central focus of  their life.

    According to the Arthritis Foundation and the CDC, juvenile arthritis (JA) is an umbrella term used to describe the many autoimmune and inflammatory conditions that can develop in children ages 16 (or 18) and younger.

    While there is not current cure for JA, certain medications and therapy have been shown to reduce pain and make life easier. The goal of treatment for JA is to relieve inflammation, control pain and improve your child’s quality of life. Most treatment plans involve a combination of medication, physical activity, eye care and healthy eating.

    Medications used to treat JA can be divided into two groups:

    1-      Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, corticosteroids and analgesics that help relieve pain and inflammation

    2-      Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), and a newer subset known as biologic response modifiers (biologics). These medicines can alter the course of the disease, put it into remission and prevent joint damage.

    Each child responds to his or her treatment plan differently. Some medications affect the immune system or have other side effects, making careful and frequent monitoring very important.

    At Brevard Medical Equipment, we want to help every person that comes through our doors improve their quality of life and live better. Our staff is ready to help and recommend medical equipment and products to help people of any age manage arthtirits. From walkers and wheelchairs to bath safety equipment and more, we will help as much as we possibly can.

    We’ll see you all next month with two more blog posts focusing on improving your health and living better!

    Source: pediatriconcall.com, the CDC, the Arthritis Foundation

    Juvenile Arthritis- Impacting all Ages

    Posted on: May 8th, 2013 by BrevardBlogger 7 Comments

    May is National Arthritis Month. You may think of arthritis as something that only happens to older people, but how much do you know about Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Brevard Medical EquipmentJuvenile Arthritis (JA) and its prevalence and causes? Brevard Medical Equipment supports young people with this debilitating condition and carries a wide variety of equipment and supplies.

    How common is JA? In 2007, CDC estimated that:

    • 294,000 U.S. children under age 18 (or 1 in 250 children) have been diagnosed with arthritis or other rheumatic conditions.
    • Childhood arthritis-related diagnoses range from a low of 500 children in Wyoming to a high of 38,000 children in California.
    • Children diagnosed with arthritis and other rheumatic conditions account for approximately 827,000 doctor visits each year, including an average of 83,000 emergency department room visits.

    There is no known cause for most forms of juvenile arthritis, nor is there evidence to suggest that toxins, foods or allergies cause children to develop the disease. Some research points toward a genetic predisposition, which means the combination of genes a child receives from family members may cause the onset of arthritis when triggered by other factors.

    Coping with a chronic illness is difficult for anyone, but especially for children who are not emotionally or physically equipped to handle the situation. Expect and prepare for your child to sometimes feel sad or angry that he or she has arthritis. It’s important to address, rather than ignore these emotions. Help your child maintain the attitude that “arthritis is part of who I am, not the only thing I am.”

    While we don’t offer the medications to treat juvenile or adult arthritis, we do have medical equipment and products to help arthritis management for people of any age. Brevard Medical Equipment offers walkers, wheelchairs and bath safety equipment to help make easier for those with juvenile arthritis.

    We’ll talk more about juvenile arthritis in our next post when we go over possible treatment options. Be watching for this future update, and we look forward to hearing from you soon!

    Sources: pediatriconcall.com, the CDC, the Arthritis Foundation