As the name implies, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is a type of arthritis that primarily affects the young. Children as young as six months can be diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. In the United States, approximately 75,000 young people have this debilitating condition.
However, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis too, affects different children differently, and not all children may experience all these symptoms. Even the degree of severity of a particular symptom may vary from children to children. Even in the case of the same child, the symptoms may vary from one day to another.
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is a collective disease. The three identified forms are pauciarticular, polyarticular and systemic. In pouciarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, a child may suffer from inflammation in few joints such as the knee and shoulder. If it is polyarticular, then many joints get inflamed simultaneously, for example knees, wrists, elbows, and so on. Polyarticular rheumatoid arthritis attacks symmetrically; for example, the joints of the left and right hand become inflammation at the same time.
There are three major types of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and it usually takes 6 months to determine the type a child suffers from. These three types are:Pauciarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis; Polyarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis; Systemic onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
The cause of the disease is unknown, even in the case of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The child complaining of joint pain is often examined to confirm for rheumatoid arthritis. The symptoms include difficulty to get up after sitting down, pain in the mornings while waking up-everything that is caused by the stiffness and swelling of the joints. They are also asked for a family history of rheumatoid arthritis. Once the disease is suspected, preliminary tests are conducted to understand the intensity of the disease. On the basis of the test results, the child is given treatment and medication. While some have an easy recovery, others suffer from more complicated symptoms. Sometimes, in some children, the symptoms of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis remain dormant for a period of time. It may suddenly emerge or "flare up" when the child least expects it.
One particular type of Pauciarticular arthritis affects girls less than seven years of age, and in 33 percent of the cases inflames the eye. The other type affects boys eight years old and older, and affects the sacroiliac joints, ankles, hips, and knees, among others. They may suffer from redness and pain in the eyes, as well.
Treatment for this difficult condition is possible through therapy and medication. The first step for treatment is to contact your doctor or physician. Juvenile arthritis is specifically delicate as it involves children, so communication becomes an issue, and it is always better to be cautious if any symptoms present themselves. Early diagnosis is the key to treatment, so if your child complains of any possible symptom, take them to your doctor/physician ASAP. It will be better to preferably rule out juvenile arthritis earlier as a cause for your child's symptoms.
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