Tag: Rheumatoid Arthritis

Parents: Is Your Child Suffering from Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Parents: Is Your Child Suffering from Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis?

All parents want the best for their children. No parent wants to see a child suffer. Unfortunately, some children are suffering. They are suffering from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Yes, arthritis does hurt more than the elderly. For many parents, arthritis is easy to spot. For others little to no signs are shown. If your child is experiencing pain and discomfort, how do you know the cause?

The most common symptom of arthritis is pain. This pain is felt in the joints. Any joint is susceptible to pain. With that said, parents should be on the lookout for pain in the fingers, toes, elbows, knees, and hips. Children suffer from three types of rheumatoid arthritis. They are Pauciarticular, Polyarticular, and Systemic. Pauciarticular is the most common, and thankfully, the mildest. Polyarticular and Systemic arthritis can lead to severe, if not unbearable pain.

Pain is the most noticeable sign that something is wrong. Children are unable to manage pain as well as adults. For parents, this means many signs. Older children will highlight their pain and even point you in the right direction. Young children may experience a change in temperament. For some, it is the only way to express their pain and frustration.

Additional symptoms of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis include joint swelling and stiffness, difficulty walking, and troubled sleep. In terms of walking, parents must watch and listen to their children. Older children still do not fully understand the importance of seeking medical care. For example, a 6th grader may fear discussing their joint pain, as it may cause them to miss their next basketball game. In this instance, parents need to look for signs. If your child not only has pain, but difficulty completing normal tasks, rheumatoid arthritis may be the cause.

If you are a parent who suspects your child may be suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, the next step is important. That step is seeking medical care. Many parents fear the unneeded medications their child will be required to take. Cross that bridge when you come to it. For now, it is important to get a proper diagnosis. The physician will ask why arthritis is suspected and perform their own tests. They will also determine which type of arthritis the child is suffering from.

If a child is diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, pain medication is typically administered right away. This will not only assist with the pain, but the swelling too. Depending on the severity of your childs symptoms, pain medication may become a daily occurrence. As a parent, this may cause you some concern. Now is the time you can examine natural and home remedies. When doing so, you will find many options. For example, most recommend mixing one teaspoon of honey, a teaspoon of lemon juice, warm water, and drinking twice a day.

Parents are encouraged to proceed with caution with home remedies for arthritis. Most remedies are designed for adults. Do not dispense anything to your child that will result in an allergic reaction. Also, make the suggestion to their primary care provider. Most doctors are expanding their horizons, no longer writing off natural remedies as rubbish.

Pain medication and some natural remedies will assist with the pain. Although pain diminishes, the disease is still present. To reduce long-term complications, exercise is required. Most children undergo physical therapy. Parents are encouraged to attend to learn the moves for home practice. Parents with overweight children are encouraged to combine healthy eating with exercise. Weight loss, can lessen the pressure placed on joints.

As you can see, it is not the end of the world when a child is diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Yes, no parent wants to see his or her child in pain, but with treatment that pain does not have to last. In fact, most children outgrow the disease. So, if you suspect your child is suffering from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, seek medical treatment. Work with their primary care physician to develop the best treatment plan.

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MASSASGE THERAPY VS. CHIROPRACTICTIC THERAPY

If you are anything like me, you probably prefer staying away from providers of conventional Western medicine as much as possible and I cannot say that I blame you. Although I have full medical coverage for that you never know when you might need it time of my life, I have not seen any of my Blue Cross doctors in well over ten years, and I hope to continue not seeing them for the rest of my life. Please do not miss understand me and think that I am some sort of superhuman creature who never gets ill. I do have my weak moments of pain and sniffles just like everyone else, or at least everyone else who takes good care of him or herself. So, when my body seems to need a boost, I visit one of my two favorite practitioners of alternative medicine; my massage therapist or my chiropractor.

I know that it all sounds very simple and straight forward but it is, in fact, somewhat challenging at times, because I do not always know which one of these wonderful professional to seek out. So, I often first opt to visit my chiropractor for a good therapeutic session of adjusting and aligning my skeletal structure and then, as an extra bonus to me and my one and only body, I also make an appointment with my massage therapist for some hefty digging and rubbing. Between the two of them, I come out feeling like a million bucks although my finances are sadly depleted. I figure that we, my body and I, are worth it.

Now, you might ask and rightfully so, What is the difference between a massage therapy and chiropractic therapy? Well, I will be happy to tell you:

* Chiropractic Therapy.
– For the most part, chiropractic therapy focuses on the hard tissues such as the spine and other joints for adjusting and realignment. Chiropractors have some training in massage techniques but that is never their first and foremost priority.
– Chiropractors are authorized to make medical diagnosis, order x-rays or blood works.
– Chiropractors cannot prescribe conventional medications but they can sell supplements or homeopathic remedies.
– Chiropractors do not need medical referrals to perform their work.

* Massage Therapy.
– Massage therapists perform wonderful work on the soft body tissues such as the muscles, tendons and ligaments but they have not been trained nor are they licensed to adjust the spine or any other joints.
– Massage therapists may not legally make medical diagnosis, order x-rays or any blood work.
– Massage therapists are not permitted to dispense medications of Western medicine but they can and do provide or recommend alternative herbal remedies.
– Massage Therapists do not required referrals from anyone to conduct their massage sessions.

A highly acclaimed national non-profit magazine recently conducted a study in which more than 34,000 participants in the United States were asked to rate which alternative treatments worked best for their two biggest health problems for the past two years and the overwhelming majority voted just as I would have; for deep tissue massage therapy and chiropractic therapy in equal measures for such conditions as back pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, respiratory problems, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression, insomnia and prostate problems.

Of course, as far as alternative medicine is concerned, one should not discount acupuncture and reflexology for they too are beneficial in their own very special ways.

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Pain Relief and Arthritis

According to medical experts, when you have arthritis, youre likely to suffer other diseases. People who have arthritis often feel joint pains because it is accompanied by inflammation. Arthralgia is the medical term for the joint pain. There are over 40 million arthritis sufferers in the United States and they are all continuously looking for effective pain relief. The disease is considered debilitating because sufferers can hardly stand the inflammation and pain.

Arthritis can affect different parts of your body but in most cases, the pain and inflammation occurs on the tendinitis, fibromyalgia, sclerodermal, and joint types or articular. Tendinitis aims at the tendons; Sclerodermal refers to the thickening of the connective tissue and skin; when the muscles become tender and sore especially when touched, it is called fibromyalgia; and the articular refers to lupus or gout and it can be really painful.

You cant really tell when arthritis is going to hit you; whether youre young or old, you can suffer from arthritis. At present, a majority of arthritis sufferers have Osteo-Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. People who have these conditions feel persistent back and joint pains. The causes of Osteo-arthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis are different, as well as the effects and risk factors. If youre also suffering from the same symptoms, you can choose among the different pain relief devices, drugs, and products sold in the market.

In the US, Osteo-arthritis affects more or less 21 million individuals in different age ranges. If you have this condition, its natural to have swollen limbs. Your joint cartilage is affected and it also results to stiffness. The condition is commonly called OA and it can affect different body parts like the spine, hips, knees, and fingers. Other parts like the ankles, shoulders, elbows, and wrists can also be affected but this seldom happens. According to medical experts, these parts are subject to OA if there is a history of unusual stress or injury. Physical trauma and repetitive injury during early age can also cause OA.

The common OA symptoms are intermittent or steady joint pain, stiffness especially an inactive period, tenderness or swelling of a joint/joints, and crunchy feeling when you use your joints.

The only way to determine if you have OA is through an x-ray test. If the symptoms are already present, the doctor will request an x-ray test. The x-ray results will reveal the cartilage deformation as well as the tissues around it. Joint Aspiration can also be performed by a qualified doctor. A synovial fluid will be taken from your affected joints with the use of a tiny needle.

Rheumatoid arthritis is another dreaded condition because it is characterized by chronic and progressive pain of the joints. The synovial tissues tend to increase in size and this is called hyperplasia. This condition provokes bone and cartilage destruction. Damaged cells will eventually die and it also promotes abnormal growth of the surrounding tissues.

Natural products like cod liver, olive oil, and ginger act as pain relievers. These are renowned and affordable products which can relieve pain effectively. Try them out now and see the pain relievers can also work for you. When you feel chronic and progressive joint pains, consult a doctor right away because you may be suffering from arthritis already. It would be best to address your condition at an early stage to prevent the onset of undesirable effects of the disease.

Sinus Infections

Modern living has its consequences. There are now complex health conditions and problems that arise like sinus infections. But because of todays modern world, there are also lots of medications and treatments for different kinds of illnesses or diseases.

Achieving optimum health is not as easy as you think. People are already used to bad diets, polluted areas, and unhealthy lifestyles. Because of this, they are more prone to chronic fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, sinus problems, and many other health conditions.

Antibiotics are overused these days. People tend to use them in inappropriate conditions and so it complicates thing further. There are even times when sinus infections dont react or respond to antibiotics especially if the root cause is fungus. Antibiotics can be narrow or broad spectrum.

The right antibiotic should be prescribed at the right health condition or problem. This is to prevent resistance to the medicine. Are you aware that improper use of antibiotic can cause side effects? Thats true and if there is no improvement in your sinusitis, it only means two things the wrong antibiotic was prescribed or you need a new treatment.

For instance, if the sinus infection did not respond to the antibiotic prescribed by the doctor, you can turn to alternative treatments like Chinese herbal remedies, acupuncture, and Ayurveda. However, the effectiveness of these alternative treatments vary from one individual to another; so you still need to find a suitable treatment that can work for your current condition.

Some people afflicted with sinus infections tend to have white or clear mucus in their sinuses. This indicates that the antibiotics wont work. Other symptoms include fatigue, loose stool, and lowered appetite. The doctor must be informed of the symptoms youre feeling.

The usual symptoms of sinusitis are greenish nasal discharge, nasal congestion, dental or facial pain, headache, eye pain, and frequent coughing during the night. Other people feel ill, have sore throat, bad breathe, and fever. Chronic sinus infections are hard to diagnose. If you have the symptoms for over two months now, then you have chronic sinusitis; but still, only the doctor can properly diagnose your true condition.

Fungal sinusitis is also possible and antibiotics wont work for this kind of infection. It can be caused by molds and other irritants. You can use alternative treatments for this kind of infection and according to some individuals, some of these treatments can work miracles. You can drink a warm cup of apple cider vinegar (disregard the taste even if its nasty), use a saline solution, or you can also regularly take garlic capsules. There are still other ways to treat fungal sinusitis and you can easily obtain the needed information online.

Maintaining a healthy and physically fit body can prevent future sinus infections. A healthy body will also have a strong immune system which can easily fight off infections. If the sinusitis is caused by bacteria, then a certain kind of antibiotic might work for it but the doctor should consider the severity of the infection, and age/weight of the patient.

Sinus infections can be cured although there are times when the infection returns. A serious dialogue with your doctor is needed so that the two of you can come up with an effective solution to address your condition.

If you want, you can also join yoga practices and use other herbal treatments in conjunction with your medical prescriptions. Always talk to your doctor first before trying any medicine or treatment.