Arthritis – threat to all of us
24 September 2017
Hong Kong Arthritis & Rheumatism Foundation (HKARF) and Community Rehabilitation Network of the Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation (CRN) jointly organized a talk “Arthritis – threat to all of us” on 24 September at room 607, Duke of Windsor Social Service Building. There were a total of 73 participants on that day.
Dr. Lee Kwok Piu, a pediatrician, introduced the common symptoms of arthritic diseases as well as the causes and diagnostic methods of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) during the talk. JIA is an inflammatory joint disease of more than 6 weeks duration in children less than 16 years of age. The disease can be classified as systemic JIA, oligoarticular JIA, polyarticular JIA, enthesitis and psoriatic JIA. Transient synovitis, reactive arthritis, septic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and hemophilia are the common causes of JIA. Currently, there are about 300 patients with JIA are treated in the pediatric department of HA hospitals.
Then Dr. Lee Ka Wing, the vice-chairman of the foundation and a rheumatologist, has cleared up some common misconceptions towards rheumatology before explaining the common treatment strategy. Dr. Lee pointed out that family history is a risk factor of many rheumatic diseases that the offspring of patients have a higher chance to suffer from the disease. Dr. Lee added that the complication of rheumatic diseases often deteriorate the quality of life of not only the patients but also their family. To improve their health condition, treatments always target on pain relief and joint mobility improvement. Patients with unusual conditions should pay more attention to their health and seek medical attention if necessary.
The talk gave the public a better understanding of JIA. Participants were satisfied with the contents and arrangements of the talk, and looking forward to the upcoming talks on related topics.
