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By Rosanna Sutherby, PharmD
July 16, 2020
July is Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month. An estimated 300,000 children in the United States have some type of juvenile arthritis (JA). The most common of these is juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Juvenile arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that occurs in children 16 years or younger. This means that the body’s immune system attacks its own healthy cells. It is characterized by joint pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of motion. Symptoms can range from mild to severe enough to cause joint or tissue damage.
Some children may have one or two flare-ups in their lifetime, while others may have symptoms for years. The most common type of JA is juvenile idiopathic arthritis. “Idiopathic” means that the cause is not known.
Scientists believe that some children have a gene that makes them more likely to develop JA. Exposure to environmental factors, such as a virus or bacteria, triggers the disease to appear. Most cases of JA are not hereditary, which means that it does not run in families.
Prescribed a medication for Juvenile Arthritis?
Diagnosing JA can be tricky because the symptoms resemble other conditions. The following tests help your child’s doctor rule out other disorders:
To diagnose JA, the child must have arthritis symptoms for six consecutive weeks, and the symptoms must have appeared by the age of 16.
Often, the first sign of JA is a morning limp that is caused by an inflamed knee. Other symptoms of the disease include:
The goal of juvenile arthritis treatment is to help your child maintain normal physical activity and social functioning. To do this, your child’s doctor will use a combination of treatments that reduce pain and swelling, maintain full movement and strength of the joints, and prevent complications or joint damage.
The most significant part of treatment for JA is medication. Commonly used drugs include the following:
Family members and parents can play a significant role at home in helping children live with JA. The following are ways in which you can be involved in your child’s treatment:
Generic medications, such as methotrexate and prednisone, are generally covered by most insurance plans. Some plans may not cover medicines that are available over the counter, such as ibuprofen or naproxen. Biologic agents, such as Enbrel, Humira, Orencia, Rituxan, Kineret, and Actemra, may be costly. Your plan may require prior authorization before covering them.
If your insurance does not cover your child’s medication or the cost is too high, you can use a prescription savings card to get the lowest prescription price at a pharmacy near you. Be sure to compare prescription prices and use your free RX savings card before filling your child’s JA medication.
Rosanna Sutherby is a freelance medical writer who has been a practicing pharmacist in her community for close to 20 years. She obtained her Doctor of Pharmacy from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. She utilizes her clinical training in the pharmacy, where she helps patients manage disease states such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and many others. Dr. Sutherby reviews and recommends drug regimens based on patients’ concurrent conditions and potential drug interactions.
References:
https://www.rheumatology.org/I-Am-A/Patient-Caregiver/Diseases-Conditions/Juvenile-Arthritis
https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/juvenile-arthritis/advanced#tab-overview
https://www.wellrx.com/IBUPROFEN/drug-information/
https://www.wellrx.com/NAPROXEN/drug-information/
https://www.wellrx.com/METHOTREXATE/drug-information/?cultureCode=en-US
https://www.wellrx.com/ENBREL/drug-information/
https://www.wellrx.com/HUMIRA/drug-information/
https://www.wellrx.com/ORENCIA/drug-information/
https://www.wellrx.com/RITUXAN/drug-information/
https://www.wellrx.com/KINERET/drug-information/
https://www.wellrx.com/ACTEMRA/drug-information/
https://www.wellrx.com/PREDNISONE/drug-information/
https://www.wellrx.com/rx-discount-card/enroll/
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