{"id":7411,"date":"2022-09-02T06:18:53","date_gmt":"2022-09-02T06:18:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mdr.foobrdigital.com\/?p=7411"},"modified":"2022-09-02T06:18:53","modified_gmt":"2022-09-02T06:18:53","slug":"juvenile-dermatomyositis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mudassirbackup.infinitycodestudio.com\/index.php\/2022\/09\/02\/juvenile-dermatomyositis\/","title":{"rendered":"Juvenile Dermatomyositis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mdr.foobrdigital.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/image-20.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7412\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is a kind of arthritis that happens in kids. It&#8217;s a rare disease that causes\u00a0inflammation\u00a0and swelling of the muscles and\u00a0blood\u00a0vessels under the\u00a0skin. It may also be called inflammatory myopathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>About 3,000 to 5,000 children in the United States have JDM. It most often affects kids ages 5 to 10. (In adults, it&#8217;s called dermatomyositis.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scientists aren&#8217;t sure what causes this type of arthritis. It&#8217;s thought of as an autoimmune disorder &#8212; that means the\u00a0immune system\u00a0mistakenly attacks muscle cells and\u00a0blood\u00a0vessels in the skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"091e9c5e81560fcf-1-2\">Symptoms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The most common signs of JDM are\u00a0muscle pain, weakness, and a\u00a0rash. About half the kids with the condition have weak muscles, especially in the muscles closer to the torso, hips, thighs, shoulder, and neck. This affects both sides of the body and tends to get worse over time<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your child may not tell you their muscles feel weak. Here are some signs to watch for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>They have&nbsp;a hard time getting out of a chair.<\/li><li>They&nbsp;can&#8217;t lift their arms above their head (if they&#8217;re&nbsp;brushing their hair, for example).<\/li><li>They&nbsp;turn&nbsp;over in bed slowly.<\/li><li>They&nbsp;have&nbsp;trouble climbing stairs.<\/li><li>They&nbsp;fall&nbsp;sometimes for no reason.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A skin rash may show up with the muscle weakness, or it may appear months later. The symptoms may be mild to severe. The rash may look like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>A red, purple rash on their cheeks and eyelids<\/li><li>A patchy rash on the skin around the&nbsp;nails, elbows, chest, back, and knees<\/li><li>Redness or swelling near their fingernails<\/li><li>Skin ulcers (open wounds on their skin)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes, the rash may look like\u00a0eczema.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other symptoms of JDM depend on the area of your child&#8217;s body that&#8217;s affected. They may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Hard lumps of calcium under their skin (calcinosis)<\/li><li>Joints that are strangely bent (contractures)<\/li><li>Weak voice<\/li><li>Hard time swallowing<\/li><li>Fatigue,\u00a0fever, and weight loss<\/li><li>Problems\u00a0breathing\u00a0(which can be life threatening)<\/li><li>Stomach\u00a0aches<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"091e9c5e81560fcf-1-4\">Diagnosis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If your child has a skin rash or muscle weakness, make an appointment with their pediatrician. Early diagnosis of JDM is important to prevent permanent muscle damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your child&#8217;s doctor will ask questions about their symptoms and medical history. Certain tests can help diagnose JDM or rule out other conditions. They include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Blood tests to check for\u00a0proteins\u00a0linked to\u00a0inflammation\u00a0or things called autoantibodies that are related to JDM.<\/li><li>Electromyography, or EMG, to measure the electric activity of your child&#8217;s muscles and find the location of the disease. Small patches are put on your child&#8217;s skin, and wires connect them to the machine that records the activity.<\/li><li>Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to spot early signs of muscle inflammation and swelling. This uses powerful magnets and radio waves to make a detailed image of the affected areas of your child&#8217;s body.<\/li><li>Muscle\u00a0biopsy\u00a0to check for signs of inflammation or infection. A small piece of muscle tissue is taken to be looked at under a microscope.<\/li><li>A close look at nails and cuticles with a lighted magnifying glass (nailfold capillaroscopy) to spot active signs of the disease.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"091e9c5e81560fcf-2-6\">Treatment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s no known cure for JDM. But early treatment can help prevent permanent health issues. Treatment involves\u00a0medication, physical therapy, and speech therapy, depending on your child&#8217;s symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Medications: Powerful anti-inflammatory drugs called corticosteroids, usually\u00a0prednisone, are tried first to help with symptoms. Your child will take these for a long time (sometimes for years). They can work quickly but often have side effects, some serious. Long-term use of corticosteroids may affect your child&#8217;s bone growth and eyesight.\u00a0Another drug, called\u00a0methotrexate, is often given along with prednisone. Sometimes, non-steroid medications may be prescribed. They include IV immunoglobulin,\u00a0cyclosporine,\u00a0azathioprine,\u00a0tacrolimus,\u00a0hydroxychloroquine, and\u00a0mycophenolate mofetil. For very severe symptoms, anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drugs or\u00a0rituximab\u00a0may be used. Always ask your child&#8217;s doctor about the expected side effects.<\/li><li>Physical therapy (PT): Your child&#8217;s therapist will teach them stretches and exercises to strengthen muscles and prevent weakness.<\/li><li>Speech therapy: JDM can damage the muscles your child uses to talk. Speech therapy can help.<\/li><li>Dietary help: Muscle weakness in your child&#8217;s\u00a0tongue, throat, and neck can make it difficult for them to chew and swallow food. Soft foods can be easier to eat. A registered dietician can show you how to make a proper, balanced food plan. More\u00a0protein\u00a0may be recommended to make up for muscle damage. If eating is especially difficult, your child may need a feeding tube.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>With proper treatment, signs of the disease can go away (go into\u00a0remission). But some children have long-lasting symptoms that don&#8217;t get better with treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"091e9c5e81560fcf-3-7\">How Else Can I Help My Child?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Juvenile dermatomyositis is a lifelong disease. It&#8217;s important to make sure your child sticks to their treatment plan and remains in the best possible health. Here are some ways you can help them do that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Make sure your child gets plenty of exercise.\u00a0Physical activity\u00a0keeps muscles strong and joints healthy. Exercise also helps keep a healthy body weight.<\/li><li>Use\u00a0sunscreen. Ultraviolet rays from the sun can make your child&#8217;s skin rash worse. Choose one that protects against UVA and UVB light. Wide-brimmed hats and photo-protective clothing are also helpful.<\/li><li>Tell your child&#8217;s teachers and school leaders about their disease. This is especially important because they may not appear sick.<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is a kind of arthritis that happens in kids. It&#8217;s a rare disease that causes\u00a0inflammation\u00a0and swelling of the muscles and\u00a0blood\u00a0vessels under the\u00a0skin. It may also be called inflammatory myopathy. About 3,000 to 5,000 children in the United States have JDM. It most often affects kids ages 5 to 10. (In adults, it&#8217;s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[910],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mudassirbackup.infinitycodestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7411"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mudassirbackup.infinitycodestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mudassirbackup.infinitycodestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mudassirbackup.infinitycodestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mudassirbackup.infinitycodestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7411"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mudassirbackup.infinitycodestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7411\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mudassirbackup.infinitycodestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mudassirbackup.infinitycodestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mudassirbackup.infinitycodestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}