Tag: Ankles

Juvenile Arthritis: What It Is and Treatment Options

When it comes to arthritis, we automatically think of the elderly. Yes, they are the common sufferers of this debilitating condition. But, did you know that there are over one hundred different types of arthritis? There are. One of those is juvenile arthritis.

As previously stated, there are over one hundred different types of arthritis. There are different reasons for pain and that pain is felt in different areas of the body, but there is pain. With arthritis, it is always there. With juvenile arthritis, children experience this pain. Unfortunately, children are unable to manage and deal with pain as well as mature adults.

In terms of juvenile arthritis alone, there are three types. All are associated with rheumatoid arthritis. What are they?

Pauciarticular is the most commonly diagnosed in children. Luckily, it is the mildest. Pain is often experienced in the ankles, knees, fingers, elbows, and hips; however, any joint can hurt.

Systemic is another type of juvenile arthritis, but it is rarely diagnosed. It is much less common. Unfortunately, complications are common. Pain is severe and often unbearable. Every joint in the body is susceptible to pain. It can also spread to other body organs.

Polyarticular is the third known type of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. It is not as common as Pauciarticular arthritis, but is more painful. This is easy to spot, as children can rarely manage or hide the pain on their own. More joints are affected. According to WebMD and other trusted medical sources, this disease progresses and gets worse over time.

What causes arthritis in children? Experts are unable to agree on a single answer. Through extensive research, most believe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is caused by an overactive immune system. This immune style attacks the joint tissues. A virus can temporarily cause this, but specific genes lead to long-term attacks. A family history of arthritis may increase a childs risk.

Aside from Polyarticular arthritis, which can lead to additional complications, most children outgrow the disease. Successful treatment improves the chances. Although most children will outgrow the disease, parents and caretakers must focus on the present. Children suffering from arthritis will experience excruciating and unbearable pain. Without treatment, they will find it difficult to function from day-to-day.

For parents and caretakers, it is difficult to spot the warning signs in young children, especially toddlers. Many do not know how to convey their pain or the pain is so severe it is difficult to describe. In addition to joint pain, those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis have difficulty sleeping, walking, experience joint swelling, and stiffness.

What type of treatment is available? Luckily, children suffering from arthritis have many options. First, medical care is recommended. Long-term health complications can arise if the disease is not properly treated and diagnosed. Parents concerned with treatment should first wait until they have a proper diagnosis. When that diagnosis arrives, pain medication is given. It may be needed on a regular basis.

Unfortunately, pain medications are damaging to the body. Over-consumption can cause complications. For that reason, parents and caretakers must understand the importance of exercise. Pain medication is not the only way to seek relief. Physical therapy will be short lived, but parents and patients are encouraged to continue the practice at home. Constant movement can be difficult for children who experience pain, but it is necessary. Movement prevents stiffness and deformities.

Many medical professionals recommend surgery to relieve arthritis pain in adults. This is rare in children. As previously stated, most children outgrow juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The risk of complications is too great in most cases. If treatment proves unsuccessful, surgery may be considered, but it is rare.

In short, rheumatoid arthritis affects individuals of all ages; it does not discriminate. If you are a parent or know a child who suffers from severe joint pain or difficulty moving, do not discount rheumatoid arthritis. It may be to blame.

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Prevention Is Still Better Than Spider Vein Treatment

Prevention is still better than spider vein treatment because you save time and money. Here are some things you can do to prevent spider veins from every appearing on your legs.

First, elevate your legs whenever possible. You can surely do this when you get home from school or work. The ideal angle of your feet should be higher than heart level so blood will be able to flow throughout the body.

You should also exercise regularly because this reduces pooling or pressure in the veins. Examples of these include jogging, walking, running, climbing and swimming as such activities will help you maintain your body weight and reduce pressure on your legs. You should also watch what you eat since there is no point sweating it out when you are just going to gain the calories you lost.

Sometimes over exercising can cause a vein to rupture. If this happens, elevate your leg and put a compress in the affected area then contact your doctor or get emergency medical care immediately.

It is nice to relax in a hot tub or go to a sauna but this must not be done often. Doing so lets absorb excess heat which increases vein distention and lead to more pooling of blood.

If you have to sit for long periods of time, stretch those legs and flex those ankles so blood will flow in the lower part of your body.

Women should wear a compression hose because this provides external graduated counter-pressure to aid in venous blood flow to the heart. This also reduces pooling and pressure in the veins. Aside from that, it can reduce the risk of forming a deep vein blood clot which should be worn when you are on a long flight or car ride.

But despite these preventive measures, spider vein can still happen. When they do, you have to decide whether or not you want to undergo surgery to remove it or not. If you are worried about paying for it, ask your insurance provider if it is covered under the plan even if most of the time, they will not allow this because it is a cosmetic procedure.

However, the loop hole here is if your doctor signs for it and sees that this is necessary. You just have to get photographs and other results to show to the insurance provider so this can be approved. This enables you to have this procedure done without paying a single dime.

When this happens, you just have to follow the instructions given by the doctor like what you can and cannot do before and after surgery. You will have to go back to the doctor for follow up checks and another series of injections since your spider veins will not go away in just one session.

The best cure against any disease regardless if it is minor or major is prevention. If you dont, will most likely end up spending hundreds of dollars and in this case, for spider vein treatment. You have to remember that to get the best results, you have to undergo two or three sessions in the next few months.

So do that math and you will realize that you could have spent that money spending it on something else.

Spider Vein Treatments At Home

Spider veins arent pretty. Although this is not life threatening, it is hard to walk around when people see this on your legs. To help you fight it, here are a few special vein treatments you can practice on your own.

First, exercise regularly. Although this activity may not prevent spider veins from appearing, working out lessens the risk of problems in blood circulation. This is because working muscles in the lower limbs contract thus pushing blood through the veins and back to the heart.

Just about any exercise will do. You can walk, ride a bike, run, jog, lift some weights or use the stairs instead of riding the elevator while at work.

If you exercise regularly, naturally you will lose weight. You have to remember that people who are overweight cant pump blood from their lower limbs to their heart. Also, their blood vessels carry more blood than those who are thinner so there is a strain on the veins.

Sweating is not enough to reduce the risk of spider veins because all the hard work is for nothing if you dont also maintain a balanced diet. Since collagen is part of the tissue in the veins and valves, it is only right that you eat food rich in protein and vitamin C. To have a balanced diet, mix this up with fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

You should not sit or stand too long in one place because this disrupts the flow of blood down your veins. Whenever possible, get up to stretch your legs or sit down to let them relax. You can also shift the weight of one leg to the other if you are standing.

When you get home, prop your legs because this helps the blood move from your feet and ankles back to your heart. Doctors have been telling people to do this for centuries but we rarely do it. Now that you know, find time to do so.

Instead of sitting down, you can also prop your legs by putting three or four pillows under them when you are lying down on your bed. Stay in this position for about ten minutes to an hour and you will feel better after.

Women should wear compression stockings regularly. This come in various strengths so first check with your doctor which one you should buy from the store. If a stronger one is needed, this will have to be prescribed by your doctor.

You can also try wearing spandex pants that are made from elastic material. Be sure that it is not too tight especially in the groin or waist as this can cut into your skin and limit circulation.

There is a product around that can cover up the spider veins whenever you have to go to a party or head down to the beach. The cream is available in a variety of shades and applied by hand so it can blend with your skin.

Spider vein treatment on your own wont make them disappear and following what was mentioned here wont prevent it from happening if it runs in your family or as you age. What they can do is help you hide it so you dont feel embarrassed showing your legs in public until you consider taking either sclerotherapy or therapy to get rid of it.