If your child has been diagnosed with Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), you may be unsure where to turn. It is tough to see your child struggle with this condition, which is why a wide range of treatment options are available. These treatments should be best chosen on the advice of the doctor. This arthritis guide will briefly discuss medicinal treatment and explain how a reliable pharmacy is crucial in managing juvenile arthritis.
JIA is the major cause of childhood arthritis. It is tough to find the actual incident rates as the disease has changed over time, but around 300,000 in North America are estimated to suffer from JIA. This chronic childhood arthritis is further divided into subtypes with varying clinical features. The disease’s exact cause is unknown and likely to develop due to a complex interaction between genetics and the environment. Research says the condition begins before the age of 16 years and lasts at least six weeks. Common JIA symptoms include redness, warmth, swelling, or limited range of motion. JIA is further divided into subtypes, and the major ones are:
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- Oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis is the most common subtype. It affects four or fewer joints during the initial six months of the condition.
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- Polyarticular JIA is another subtype that accounts for about 30% of JIA-affected children. It affects five or more joints within six months of disease onset.
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- Juvenile psoriatic arthritis, a subtype of JIA, accounts for 5% of all JIA patients. It is a combination of arthritis and psoriasis.
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- Enthesitis-related arthritis mainly causes symptoms in the knees, hips, ankles, and low back.
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- Systematic JIA is more dominant than arthritis and can occur during childhood.
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- Undifferentiated arthritis – Multiple types of JIA come in this arthritis category with overlapping features.
Treatment for JIA
The treatment aim is to help your child perform normal physical and social activity. To succeed in doing this, healthcare specialists may use a combination of strategies to relieve swelling and pain, restore movement and prevent complications. Medicinal treatment help children with JIA in terms of improving function, decreasing pain, and minimizing joint damage. Commonly used medications are:
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- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): These medicines, including ibuprofen and naproxen, decrease pain and inflammation (swelling). Side effects of the drugs include kidney disease, liver problems, and stomach upset.
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- Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs or DMARDs: Doctors usually prescribe these medicines when NSAIDs alone cannot provide symptomatic relief or if there is an increased risk of damage in the future. DMARDs can be combined with NSAIDs to slow down the progression of the disease. The most prescribed DMARD is methotrexate. Adverse effects of these drugs include nausea, liver problems, low blood counts, and an increased risk of infection.
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- Corticosteroids: The class of medication includes prednisone, which is given to control symptoms until another medicine takes effect. They are also effective in treating inflammation of the sac around the heart. These medications affect normal growth and increase susceptibility to infection; therefore, they should be prescribed for the shortest possible duration.
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- Biologic agents: These target specific parts of the immune system. They are the newer class of drugs, which includes tumour necrosis factor blockers, such as adalimumab, etanercept, infliximab, and golimumab. They are effective at reducing inflammation and preventing joint damage. Doctors may prescribe these biological agents with DMARDs and other drugs.
Other biologic agents are available to cause suppression of the immune system in different ways. Such biologic agents include rituximab, abatacept, tocilizumab, and anakinra, tocilizumab. These biological agents can increase the risk of infection.
Managing JIA
In some cases, JIA can contribute to serious complications such as joint damage, growth issues, and eye inflammation. Appropriate treatment focuses on reducing pain and inflammation caused by the condition, thus improving function and preventing further damage. You will be surprised to know how connecting to an online pharmacy can further support this journey of managing JIA. Managing arthritis in teens can be a lifelong journey.
There are reasons to consider the enrolment of a reliable pharmacy in adolescent JIA treatment. In rural areas, changing the way, medicinal supplies are financed, a wide range of prescription medicines for young people with JIA and other conditions are accessible through e-pharmacy. Online pharmacies offer a range of medications to help maintain your child’s body’s strength/movement and improve their quality of life.
Now the world has shifted to a place where medicines are accessible to even those areas where a small group of people live and where local drug stores are absent. Today, buying medicines online has become a trend set to continue. And it is no harm in purchasing online once you get the prescription for those medicines from your doctor unless you are buying from a reliable online platform. This way, a reliable pharmacy helps your child manage their symptoms with appropriate medicinal treatment and live a full life. Some of the benefits of choosing a reliable medical store for your child’s JIA treatment include:
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- Convenience: An online drugstore is a convenient way of buying medicines for parents of JIA-affected children due to the difficulty of visiting local drugstores.
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- Time-saving: Buying medications from an online platform can help you save money and effort. Within a few minutes, you can head to an online pharmacy and purchase medicines as required. It saves the time you travel to buy medications from a local drugstore and wait in queues for your turn.
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- Cost efficiency: The cost of medicines bought from an online pharmacy is much less than that of a local drugstore.
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- Access anytime: One major benefit of buying medicine online is that you can place your order anywhere from anywhere, as they provide a 24X7 service to solve your queries.
Conclusion
JIA is a common form of chronic childhood arthritis. It is further divided into subtypes that can range from mild to severe disease. Prompt treatment is essential in preventing associated mortality. With the use of medications, the quality of life has substantially improved for the affected children. Buying medications from an online pharmacy can help your child get appropriate medicinal treatment anytime and anywhere. Be sure to choose a reliable online platform to purchase medicine for your JIA-affected child.