Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis: Know the Signs

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Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis: Know the Signs

February 23rd, 2010

You might not realize that there are more than 100 different types of arthritis that have been identified. Another little known fact is that the ailment is not limited to adults and can sometimes affect children too. Though rare, children can develop a form of the condition known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Juvenile and adult rheumatoid arthritis share many symptoms. But there are a lot of considerable differences too that you might want to know about it.

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis generally causes inflamed joints for a period of about a month and a half. This type of arthritis is in fact quite common, similar in occurrence to that of arthritis in adults. Indeed, fully one quarter of the population will ultimately go through one kind of arthritis or another.

Since it’s a very complicated type of arthritis, it’s extremely important to seek treatment; otherwise, it can actually become life-threatening. Children can be diagnosed with multiple types of rheumatoid arthritis. These are classified according to the symptoms the child is suffering from and also the specific joints that are impacted.

The most common symptoms are swollen joints along with pain and stiffness. Some of the symptoms your child might encounter are swelling in the bones and joints. Following physical activity, these symptoms will be more noticeable. One might not be able to visually note pain and stiffness, however swelling will be very apparent. The swollen joint will appear red and will be tender to the touch. Afflicted joints can have devastating and painful effects on children, from limiting their range of motion to making it impossible for them to move the joints at all.

Children with rheumatoid arthritis frequently have fevers and rashes as symptoms. The fever that occasionally sets in is typically high and may dissipate without taking any medicine. If these symptoms continue, you can be sure it’s not just a normal cold or flu bug. They won’t simply hang around for a couple of days then disappear, but instead will return on a frequent basis. The associated rash is typically light pink and often appears then disappears on a random basis.

Eyes becoming inflamed are another telltale sign of juvenile arthritis. This creates swelling around the eyes or redness on the eye around the iris. You are less likely to link this symptom to another condition since it’s unique to JRA. Blindness may be the ultimate result for children who have this symptom, which is usually associated with pauciarticular JRA, which doesn’t show any other early signs.

Children suffering from these symptoms need immediate medical attention. It is vital to seek proper medical attention for any symptoms of juvenile arthritis. There are a lot of ways to treat the problem and give your child relief from arthritis pain.