The month of July is an incredibly important month for the Wallpe household. There are quite a few birthdays of importance along with celebrating our nation’s independence on July 4th. It is also a great month for outdoor activities, baseball games, and cookouts. There is an even more important topic that seems to be neglected at times though. July is the health awareness month for Juvenile Arthritis.
The word arthritis, when broken down, literally means inflammation of joints. This could be one joint or many joints for that matter. The mechanism behind the inflammation is what can vary, and this is what determines the type of arthritis. Many people believe that arthritis can only cause problems for older populations, but that is not the case. First, it is important to note there are many different types and forms of arthritis. These can be found here at Arthritis.org. To learn more about each, please go ahead and click to expand your knowledge base on arthritis! In this blog post, I would like to outline a category of arthritis which affects the youngest and least expected victims. Juvenile Arthritis occurs in children under the age of 16 and affects nearly 300,000 children in the United States alone. According to Arthritis.org,
“Although the various types of juvenile arthritis share many common symptoms, like pain, joint swelling, redness and warmth, each type of JA is distinct and has its own special concerns and symptoms. Some types of juvenile arthritis affect the musculoskeletal system, but joint symptoms may be minor or nonexistent. Juvenile arthritis can also involve the eyes, skin, muscles and gastrointestinal tract.”
In addition, growth of the child can be interfered with as the inflammatory processes impact their joints. Many times, the temporomandibular joint or jaw will have abnormal growth. The impact on organs can be felt through massive amounts of inflammation impacting their ability to fully function. For more information on the growth impact, read this article from US News. A phenomenal cause to aid in the fight against arthritis is the annual Walk to Cure Arthritis fundraising event. Teams can be made to raise money prior to the event where teams walk a 5K. Many individuals who participate either have some form of debilitating arthritis, know someone who suffers from arthritis, or just want to help make an impact to help fight arthritis. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
The first step is understanding the varying forms of arthritis in order to best combat each individual case. One common factor is reduction of inflammation though. Stay tuned for our next blog which will outline inflammation and all that it entails!
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