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Juvenile Arthritis Center - Pharr, TX

Pharr Pediatric Rheumatologist Doctors for Juvenile Arthritis

Type of Physician: Pediatric Rheumatologist

What is a Pediatric Rheumatologist?

A subspecialty certification by the Board of Pediatrics; practitioners treat the infant, child, or adolescent with rheumatic disease (causing painful disability in the muscles, tendons, bones, joints or nerves). He or she also participates in the prevention, understanding, and treatment of the various rheumatic disorders and also promotes understanding of the basic mechanisms of the disease in the interrelated areas of immunology, genetics, inflammation, and infectious diseases.

Specialty: Pediatric Rheumatology

Common Name:

Pharr, Texas

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Juvenile Arthritis (Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis)

Arthritis in childhood? Isn't that only an old person's disease?

Most laypeople and many doctors fail to appreciate that arthritis in children exists. For the children affected and their families, education about the condition is essential. Many children suffer for months or years before the diagnosis of arthritis is thought of and proper treatment begun. But the problem doesn't end there. Children with arthritis frequently experience difficulty because their teachers and schoolmates don't understand that children can develop arthritis. They have no idea what to expect from the child with arthritis or about the nature of the illness. As a result, when the child is finally diagnosed with arthritis, the family may be told just to put them in a wheelchair because "nothing can be done." This is entirely wrong!

How common is arthritis in children?

Arthritis affects approximately one child in every 1,000 in a given year. Fortunately, most of these cases are mild. However, approximately one child in every 10,000 will have more severe arthritis that doesn't just go away. Many children have what is called an acute inflammatory arthritis following a viral or bacterial infection. This arthritis is often quite severe for a brief period but usually disappears within a few weeks or months. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is the most common type of arthritis that persists for months or years at a time. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is also now called juvenile arthritis or juvenile arthritis of unknown cause (juvenile idiopathic arthritis).

What are the signs, symptoms, and treatment of the different forms of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis?

There are three main forms of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), which are classified by how they begin. These forms are pauciarticular (less than four joints affected), polyarticular (four or more joints affected), and syste...

Recommended Reading Related to Juvenile Arthritis (Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis)

Kawasaki Disease »

Kawasaki's disease facts

  • Kawasaki's disease is a syndrome of unknown cause that mainly strikes young children.
  • Signs of the disease include fever and redness of the eyes, hands, feet, mouth, and tongue.
  • The disease can be treated with high doses of aspirin (salicylic acid) and gammaglobulin.
  • Kawasaki's disease usually resolves on its own within a month or two.
  • Some children with Kawasaki's disease suffer damage to the coronary arteries.

What is Kawasaki's disease, and how is it diagnosed?

Kawasaki's disease is an uncommon illness in children that is characterized by high fever of at least five days' duration together with at least four of the following five findings:

  1. Inflammation with reddening of the whites of the eyes (conjunctivitis) without pus
  2. Redness or swelling of the hands or feet, or generalized skin peeli...

Emergency Contact for Pharr

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Pharr Hospitals *

McAllen Heart Hospital
1900 South D St
Mcallen, TX 78503
(956)994-2401

Rio Grande Regional Hospital
101 E Ridge Rd
Mcallen, TX 78503
(956)632-6000

McAllen Medical Center
301 W Expressway 83
Mcallen, TX 78503
(956)632-4000

LifeCare Hospitals of South Texas McAllen Campus North
5101 N Jackson Rd
Mcallen, TX 78504
(956)926-7000

Edinburg Regional Medical Center
1102 W Trenton Rd
Edinburg, TX 78539
(956)388-6000

LifeCare Hospitals of South Texas McAllen Campus South
2001 South M St
Mcallen, TX 78503
(956)688-4300

Doctors Hospital At Renaissance
5501 S McColl Rd
Edinburg, TX 78539
(956)661-7100

Mission Regional Medical Center
900 South Bryan Rd
Mission, TX 78572
(956)580-9000

Cornerstone Regional Hospital
2302 Cornerstone Blvd
Edinburg, TX 78539
(956)618-4444

Knapp Medical Center
1401 E 8th St
Weslaco, TX 78596
(956)968-8567

Harlingen Medical Center
5501 S Expressway 77
Harlingen, TX 78550
(956)365-1000

Valley Baptist Medical Center
2101 Pease St
Harlingen, TX 78550
(956)389-1100

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