The first thing people think of when they hear the word arthritis is old. Many associate arthritis with old people who are unable to care for themselves. This is obviously false. Most people who are diagnosed with arthritis are 65 or older, but three out of five are younger than 65. The most common chronic illness of childhood is juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. People believe arthritis is normal and apart of aging. This is false because almost half of the elderly population has never experienced the conditions and estimated 300,000 children are affect. Lastly, arthritis is not inherited by family. There are several causes that lead up to someone having …show more content…
The best way to keep your joints strong and healthy is to exercise regularly and eat healthy. The goal is to keep the range of motion and flexibility of joints in good conditions. After a child has reached remission the objective is to keep inflammation under control and avoid any flare ups as much as possible. A flare up is when the condition suddenly worsens. The pain and swelling can be more painful and damaging than before. It has no specific timing of when they will pop up. A child can have no symptoms for 2 years and all of a sudden have a flare up, and could cause them to be in the hospital. To avoid the flare ups, a child must stay on top of things. Like, taking their medications on time, go to doctor appointments and anything that their rheumatologist tells them to do. Parents can be included in these things and support their child through this