JUVENILE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and Juvenile Arthritis are both subjects I have posted about here and here writing Juvenile Arthritis and Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis in the search box on my right will show other posts on this subject.

In summary the incidents of Arthritis and Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis in UK and USA are increasing yet because of the problems over diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease children and adults are not adequately assessed to see if their symptoms could be as a result of a bacterial infection Lyme Disease.

Research shows that blood tests can miss 50% of cases that's even if the child is tested for Lyme Disease.

The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. The subject Lyme Disease the state of the science hearing.

Details of presentations are being posted on the CALDA blog click here

Especially interesting is the speech by Diane Blanchard, Co-President of Time for Lyme, who addressed the issue of scientific bias and the importance of separating fact from opinion. She also emphasized that it was important to listen to patients drawing the parallel to the discovery of Lyme by Polly Murphy, a mother in a local community. Read her speech here

Thank you Diane for your informative speech lets hope it doesn't fall on closed ears.

I suffered chronic painful arthritis and muscle weakness and was put on steroids, yes steroids did reduce the inflammation and enable me to continue part time work but my health problems continued to deteriorate. Eventually my GP considered the possibility of Lyme disease an illness grossly overlooked and marginalised here in the UK. You can read my story in the right hand column but suffice it to say that on long term antibiotics I have my health back and my life and have no pain or disability.

Many illness are ASSUMED to be auto immune and patients rather too quickly given steroid treatments, if infact the illness is a bacterial infection then even long term antibiotics can be far less harmful than steroids and yet because of the biased outdated views doctors are mis led into believing Lyme Disease tests are 100% accurate when in fact 50% is nearer the mark.

Lyme Disease was named after a town Old Lyme in Connecticut, Polly Murray was the person who alerted the Health Authorities because of an increased incidence in Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis in a small area in her town.

How come nearly 30 years later doctors are not paying attention to the evolving science on this complex disease?

Well the answers are there in part if you have time to look at the many charity websites links found on the top right of my side bar, but if you read nothing else do read what Diane Blanchard has to say.