subject: How Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Affects Children [print this page] How Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Affects Children
By: Irene Fowler-SharpeYoungsters, as sad as it is, suffer from many different forms of arthritis. The most common form is jeuvenile rheumatoid arthritis or JRA. The disease is also known as Still`s disease, or juvenile chronic polyarthritis.Jeuvenile rheumatoid arthritis can strike a child at any time, from infancy on to the age of sixteen years of age.Most often it strikes between ages two and five, and from ages nine to twelve. It is more common for girls to be affected than boys.As with rheumatoid arthritis, the most common symptom of JRA is inflammation. The affected joints become painful and swoolen resulting in stiffness. This is accompanied with warmth, and redness of the skin over the affectedjoint.Children with JRA sometimes can be affected with loss of bone growth on account of the inflammation. Approximately about half of the people affected with jeuvenile rheumatoid arthritis can have a disturbance of growth patterns while the disease is active. If this occurs, the child`s overall physical development could be slowed. Growth will resume when the disease is under control.The SymptomsThe symptoms of JRA can change in children from day to day. One day the stiffness in the joints may be so severe that the child is not able to move without a great deal of discomfort. The next day could be a different story;and the discomfort could be very mild.Quite often, the signs of the disease are well hidden. The reason is that most of the damage is on the inside;and is not visible to others. However, a child with JRA is more likely to be shorter than average; have stiffness when they are walking, or some deformities in the fingers and the wristsThe three Forms of JRAThere are at least three forms of JRA. Inflammations is the common symptom of all three types.The first form is called Systemic JRA. It usually affects many different areas of the body, including internal organs and systems.The second form is called Polyarticular JRA. ``Poly`` means several or many, and ``articular`` means ``joint``.The third type is called Pauciarticular JRA. This means that only a few of the joints are affected.Systemic JRASystemic JRA is more commonly known as Still`s disease. It is estimated that about twenty percent of all casesfall under this catagory. This form can sometimes occur in adults but is seldom the case. Having a high fever is common with this type. It can spike in the evening, and go as high as 103 or even higher; then returning to normal the next day. Chills are usually accompanied with the high fever and can make the child feel sick. Fluctuating fevers can last for weeks or even months.A rash is another common symptom usually accompanied with the fever. It most often appears on the chest or the thighs; but could also be on other parts of the body as well.Joint pain could be severe, moderate, or mild and can disappear as suddenly at it started. Sometimes it can last for days or even weeks. Some children only have pain in the joints during their fever. Systemic JRA can affect the heart, the liver and the spleen, as well as other organs. People affected with the disease need to be monitored closely.Polyarticular JRAApproximately 40-50% of all children develop polyarticular JRA; being more prevalent in girls than in boys.Polyarticular JRA usually affects five or more joints; usually in the small joints. The fingers and wrists andoccasionally in the weight-bearing joints such as the hips, knees, ankles and feet.The main characteristic of polyarticular JRA is intense inflammation.Pauciarticular JRAPauciarticular JRA is found in approximately 30-40% of children who have the disease. This particular form affects four or less joints. The joints usually affected are the larger joints, like the elbows, knees, and the ankles.Eye inflammation is a symptom of pauciarticular JRA, and children who have this form of the disease will need to be examined closely to avoid any vision loss.It is not known what causes jeuvenile rheumatoid arthritis, but it doesn`t seem to be hereditary. Usually there is only one child per family affected with the disease. If there is a genetic predisposition to JRA, it is not the only cause.For more information on arthritis and to get a copy of my Free Report,visit:http://www.removingjointpain.com................................. http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/how-juvenile-rheumatoid-arthritis-affects-children-4396287.html
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