Arthritis is a medical term that represents a group of musculoskeletal diseases. This group consists of over one hundred diseases and conditions that affect various parts like the following:

• Joints
• Bones
• Muscles
• Cartilage
• Connective tissues

In general, these conditions will hamper or halt the patient’s physical movement. It’s a common misconception that arthritis would occur only among old people. But, that is not the case. Kids too can get this disease. In America, there are over 300,000 children who have been diagnosed with “Juvenile Arthritis”. It’s to be noted that juvenile arthritis is a collective term that is used to describe several inflammations, as well as autoimmune conditions that are found to be developing in children of ages sixteen and below.

Understanding the Juvenile Arthritis Classification

Firstly, we need to understand that arthritis is not only associated with aches and pains in the joints. This, what we call as osteoarthritis, is not the only type of the disease. There are also some autoimmune disorders that cause similar kinds of symptoms, and they may develop right from infancy.The common types of juvenile arthritis are:

• Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)
• Juvenile dermatomyositis
• Juvenile Lupus
• Juvenile scleroderma
• Kawasaki disease
• Mixed connective tissue disease
• Fibromyalgia

Of these, the most commonly seen form of juvenile arthritis is juvenile idiopathic arthritis. In the United States alone, over 50,000 children have been affected with this form of arthritis. This type of arthritis is often referred to as “juvenile rheumatoid arthritis” in the country. When this arthritis first exhibits its symptoms in a kid’s body, it is often written off by the parents as a flu bug. There are also cases in which the parents think the sudden rash from the condition is due to an allergic reaction. Therefore, there happens to be a little delay in the diagnosis of the condition most of the time. So, it’s important for each and every parent to understand the symptoms of juvenile arthritis. This would help to quickly diagnose the condition and treat it as early as possible.What are the symptoms of juvenile arthritis? Check below.

Symptoms of Juvenile Arthritis

Remember, when it comes to the symptoms, it’s quite tricky. Most of the time, children with juvenile arthritis will show more or less the same symptoms. However, there is no actual symptom to be completely sure that a kid definitely has the condition. So, we would recommend you to consult with a pediatric rheumatologistif your child is showing one or more of the following symptoms:

Pain: Just like rheumatoid arthritis in elderly people, the juvenile version too will cause pain in the joints. And, this pain would be prominent during the morning and would decrease as your kid goes through the day. In this, remember that literally any joint can be affected and it may include:

• Knees
• Ankles
• Hips
• Fingers
• Wrists
• Shoulders
• Jaw
• Neck
• Back

Swelling: We would say that this is the easy-to-identify symptom in juvenile arthritis. The skin portion that is surrounding the joint would appear red and would feel warm.

Fever: A specific form of arthritis would cause spiked fevers more regularly. In this, it must be noted that these fevers would not accompany any other forms of illness like respiratory infection or sore throats, which are often the causes of fever in children. If you could notice this in your child, then it’s time for you to visit the doctor.

Rashes: Yes, rashes are very common among children. But, remember that few rashes are more specific to rheumatic diseases. If you can see rashes around your child’s knuckles, cheeks, nose, or trunk, you may need to consult a doctor. Here, it’s to be noted that these kinds of rashes will not ooze out or itch and would come and go.

Stiffness: Children with juvenile arthritis would be stiff when their parents are not actually expecting it. More usually, you can witness this after waking up in the morning or after sitting idle for a longer period of time. It’s to be noted that this symptom would impact the child’s ability to hold things in the morning. You can also see the impact in the way he or she walks. This again would reduce as the day passes on.

Eye issues:Pinkeye is one of the normal issues with the eye.But, if you notice your child experience persistent redness, blurred vision, or unusual pain in the eyes, you should consult with a doctor.

How to Approach the Disorder

Literally, there is no cure for autoimmune arthritis, and this applies to juvenile arthritis, too. But, you can slow it down or stop the disease from progressing through treatments. Your doctor will tell you plenty of treatment options for this condition.