Juvenile Arthritis Essay

Rheumatoid Arthritis or “RA” is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system mistakenly attacks its own body tissues. This disease affects the lining of joints causing pain and swelling. Eventually the swelling can lead to bone erosion and joint deformity. RA can happen to anyone at any age, but the majority of people who have to endure this disease are women over the age of 40.

Developing this disease made it so that a major shift in my life occurred. When I first heard that the doctor had made a diagnosis of Juvenile Arthritis I didn’t know what to do. I felt like the world around me was coming down on me. I had to learn basic skills all

     Another type is Rheumatoid arthritis. It is what’s known as an inflammatory arthritis. It is the second most common form of arthritis, right behind osteoarthritis. It affects primarily the small joints in the hands and feet, causing crippling deformities. This is an arthritis that usually starts in middle-life or earlier. Estimates say one out of every hundred people, (females are two to three times as likely) suffer from it. It usually starts in the winter and after a common sickness, but it isn’t considered an infective arthritis. Nobody knows what causes rheumatoid arthritis. It could be some hereditary trait. Scientists think that rheumatoid arthritis may be an autoimmune disease (that means the body acts as though it were allergic to itself). The immune system gets mixed up and attacks normal joint tissue instead of the infection it is supposed to attack.

As I began my sophomore year of high school, I envisioned another year full of sports and normal high school activities. I was looking forward to playing basketball as I had done in my freshman year. A few weeks into the new school year I slowly realized that vision would not play out how I thought it would. When I began to notice a nagging pain in my hands and fingers that would not go away, I knew something was wrong. Basketball, a sport that I had once loved to play became almost impossible for my swollen hands to handle. The pain progressively got worse and eventually spread throughout my body, making it difficult to walk and carry out simple tasks. After two long months of tests and several doctors, I was finally diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

As we grow older our bodies begin to degenerate, and stop working. There are many different kinds of diseases that we are subject to as we age, cancers, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, and many others. All have a negative affect on our lives, making it difficult to function. Arthritis is the second leading chronic disease in the United States.

Rheumatoid Arthritis(RA) is the most common type of autoimmune arthritis. RA is a progressive and debilitating musculoskeletal disorder that affects the joints symmetrically, causing a range of systemic effects. What it causes is still not well known; nevertheless, findings of new research points towards a believe that it is triggered by a defective immune system, which causes the release of inflammatory chemicals. These chemicals cause damage to cartilage and bone, usually affecting the wrists, the joints of the hand, including the knuckles, the middle joints of the fingers and feet. While this condition can affect any joints, besides, important body organs such as the eyes and the lungs can also be affected by the inflammation that occurs as a result of this chronic condition. Only in America 1.3 million of people are affected by this ailment, and 75 % of them are mainly women. Its onset usually occurs between fourth and sixth decades; however, RA can occur at any age("Diseases And

There are different types of arthritis such as gouty arthritis which causes a swelling usually in the big toe, psoriatic arthritis that often occurs along with psoriasis and reactive arthritis which usually involves the eyes, urethra and joints. Juvenile arthritis is an umbrella term used to describe any form of childhood arthritis or arthritis-related conditions which affects people under 16 years old. The most common form of childhood arthritis is juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) which is also referred to as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). Individuals who suffer from JRA experience stiffness and joint inflammation that result into swelling, warmth, soreness and redness of the joints. JRA, also

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic syndrome that is characterized by inflammation of the peripheral joints, but it may also involve the lungs, heart, blood vessels, and eyes. The prevalence of this autoimmune disease is between 0.3% to 1.5% of the population in the United States (Feinberg, pp 815). It affects women two to three times more often than men, and the onset of RA is usually between 25 and 50 years of age, but it can occur at any age (Reed, pp 584). RA can be diagnosed by establishing the presence of persistent joint pain, swelling in a symmetric distribution, and prolonged morning stiffness. RA usually affects multiple joints, such as the hands, wrists, knees, elbows, feet, shoulders, hips, and small

Although, there are similarities amongst the two diseases, there exists some notable variances. Thus, Lupus merciless assaults joints and vital internal organs which can lead to an untimely demise, while RA sufferers may not. RA attacks mostly joint of the fingers, wrist, knees, hips, and ankles. This causes bone deformity, while Lupus does not. RA pain is most active in the morning and may get better later on the day, but Lupus joint pain is active throughout the day. Lupus patients take steroids and other drugs to treat skin rashes, heart disease, or kidney problems, however, people with RA get steroids shots to control pain and inflammation. RA attacks the body in a symmetrical pattern; warm, tender, swollen joints occur on each side of the body, however, Lupus does not. A helpful indicator in the diagnosis of Lupus is the classical “butterfly rash” over the bridge of the nose and cheeks area, unlike RA, which does not. Although, advance stage of RA, disease causes bone erosion and bone loss, Lupus, however, does not affect the bones in the same

Lupus is a lifelong, autoimmune disease. This means that the immune system of a person with lupus cannot tell the difference between its own cells and what is foreign. This leads to the immune system attacking healthy tissue throughout the entire body.

Even in the year twenty-fifth teen the cause of lupus is not known. History suggests that genes play an important role, but genes alone do not determine who gets lupus. It is likely that many factors trigger the disease and. some of the most common symptoms of lupus are: Pain or swelling in joints, muscle pain, fever with no known cause. Red rashes, most often on the face or chest pain when taking a deep breath, or hair loss. Pale or purple fingers or toes and sensitivity to the sun are also symptoms. Swelling in legs or around eyes, mouth ulcers, swollen glands, feeling very tired. There is no single test to diagnose lupus. It may take months or years for a doctor to diagnose lupus. It is vital that you take an active role in your treatment, which is also to find ways to cope with the stress of having lupus. Exercising and finding ways to relax may make it easier for you to cope. A good support system can also

Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) is a chronic and progressive autoimmune disorder of the joints. In JRA the joints become stiff, swollen, and inflamed causing pain and loss of movement. The cause is thought to be genetic and/or related to environmental factors which are still not understood. Because of its origin not being well understood, JRA is also called juvenile idiopathic arthritis. The body has abnormal immune responses wherein it attacks normal cells and tissues causing damage to the joints (McMahon Anne-Marie, 2011).

Rheumatic fever is classed as an autoimmune disease because the inflammation is probably caused by the immune system’s reaction to the bacteria. While rheumatic fever can develop at any age, children between five and 14 years are at increased risk. Without treatment, the disease can lead to serious complications such as rheumatic heart disease.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, SLE, is a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks its own tissue and organs. Inflammation can affect many different body systems including joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs. Lupus can be difficult to diagnose because the signs and symptoms, and a physical examination lead to a diagnosis. A facial rash across both cheeks resembling wings of butterfly is the most distinctive sign of lupus that occurs in many but not all cases. There is no cure for lupus and only treatments that can help control symptoms.

Rheumatoid Arthritis or (RA) is an autoimmune disease that attacks the joints and connective tissue. The result is inflammation that produces permanent damage in the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic syndrome that tends to be progressive and destructive as compared to Osteoarthritis or (OA), which is more of an age related disease caused by “wear and tear” of the joints. In contrast to (OA), rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by inflammation mostly of the joints, but is a general body disease.