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Strong pain Rheumatism also affects many children
In rheumatism, most people initially think of seniors. But even children can get sick. In Germany alone, around 20,000 children and adolescents suffer from the painful joint inflammation. With the right treatment, however, sufferers can live almost without discomfort.
13-year-old girl with chronic rheumatism
The term "diseases of the rheumatic type" includes hundreds of diseases that are sometimes similar, but often very different. All have in common a lot of pain. Although many people assume that rheumatism only affects the elderly, children can also get sick. So also the 13-year-old Merve from Wilhelmshaven. The news agency dpa reports on the girl with chronic rheumatism. You prepare to run, jump and romp unspeakable pain. Her joints in the elbows, knees and fingers were inflamed and swollen. "One morning she collapsed in front of the bed and could not get up," recalls her mother Katja Engelbrecht.
Rheumatism can also hit children. Image: angiolina - Fotolia 20,000 children and adolescents in Germany affected
In Germany alone "around 20,000 children and adolescents under the age of 16 suffer from so-called juvenile idiopathic arthritis" (short JIA). "Idiopathic means that we do not know the cause," said the pediatric rheumatologist Hans-Iko Huppertz. Although the various stages of the disease are known and treatable in rheumatism, they do not know why it develops. Huppertz is the director of one of the German Centers for Pediatric Rheumatology at the Professor Hess Children's Hospital in Bremen. There is also treated Merve. The girl receives an intravenous drug every eight weeks that is similar to cortisone. As Huppertz explained, this avoids all known side effects.
Therapy with psychological support
The 13-year-old has to stay in the clinic for three days for such a shock therapy. She used to suffer a lot, spent whole days just in bed. "You just want to sleep and you're exhausted," Merve explained. It was depressing, but she got the courage and strength from her friends and the doctors. "And from my foster horse and riding community back home in Bonnhausen," said the girl. Therapy would have been harder without this psychological support.
Danger to the heart
According to the information, among 100,000 children between 20 and 30 years of childhood rheumatism. JIA is the most common chronic autoimmune disease in childhood. The body tries to fight its own tissue. The resulting inflammation can pass from the joints to other organs. "Even the eyes or the heart can be affected," explained Huppertz, who has been treating rheumatic patients for over 30 years. Also the professional association of German rheumatologists (BDRh) pointed out only a few days ago on this danger and communicated that the heart attack and stroke risk with inflammatory rheumatism is clearly increased. Huppertz explained that a common form of infant rheumatism, for example, occurs in the knee joints of girls learning to walk. "The fact that the children hobble, is therefore often overlooked at the beginning," said the doctor.
Complaint-free thanks to therapy options
Even with the 13-year-old from Wilhelmshaven, the first suspicion for the cause of the pain was different: "Some said that they are growing pains and that I should not do it that way," Merve said. However, her treating pediatrician reacted quickly and sent the girl to the experts in Bremen. Nationwide, there are around 20 centers for pediatric rheumatology. As the dpa message states, various medications can be used to control rheumatism. The duration of treatment is as individual as the patients.
According to experts, alternative treatment options such as radon heat therapy in warm healing tunnels can also help with rheumatic diseases. The positive effects persist for months after a treatment cycle. Many patients reported sustained pain relief, complete freedom from symptoms and a significantly lower need for medication. Since strong muscles also relieve stressed joints, sports like swimming or aqua gymnastics are also recommended. In addition, children with rheumatic complaints often respond well to Chinese medicine, according to doctors. As the agency report concludes, although one can never speak of cure for chronic illness, most young patients can live almost symptom-free under treatment. (Ad)