| Arthritis has always been erroneously thought of as a | | | | Polyarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis |
| condition that affects the elderly. Unfortunately, it does | | | | Systemic onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis |
| affect the children as well. Juvenile Rheumatoid | | | | Pauciarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis affects a |
| Arthritis most commonly affects children. Though it is | | | | few joints, as little as four, or less. Half the children with |
| generally mild, causing hardly any problems, in severe | | | | juvenile rheumatoid arthritis have this type of arthritis, |
| cases it causes damage to the joints and the tissues. | | | | and usually the joints of the knees, ankles, and elbows |
| Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis causes inflammation of the | | | | are affected. Joints of the wrists, spine and finger or |
| joints, stiff and bent joints, damage to the joints, and | | | | toe joints are rarely, if at all, affected. It normally |
| change in the growth. As is the case of Ankylosing | | | | affects joints on one side of the body and not both |
| Spondylitis, children suffering from juvenile rheumatoid | | | | sides. |
| arthritis also suffer from stiffness of the joints in the | | | | One particular type of Pauciarticular arthritis affects |
| morning on waking up, or after a prolonged period of | | | | girls less than seven years of age, and in 33 percent |
| rest. | | | | of the cases inflames the eye. The other type affects |
| However, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis too, affects | | | | boys eight years old and older, and affects the |
| different children differently, and not all children may | | | | sacroiliac joints, ankles, hips, and knees, among others. |
| experience all these symptoms. Even the degree of | | | | They may suffer from redness and pain in the eyes, |
| severity of a particular symptom may vary from | | | | as well. |
| children to children. Even in the case of the same child, | | | | Polyarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis affects five |
| the symptoms may vary from one day to another. | | | | joints or more. It affects the girls more than boys, and |
| Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis - Its Types | | | | mainly teenagers. This type normally affects the hands |
| Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis cannot be diagnosed by | | | | and the finger joints, but can also affect the neck, jaw, |
| any single test. A series of tests may be required to | | | | hips, knees, and ankles. If affecting the spine, the child |
| diagnose this form of arthritis and only after persistent | | | | may find it difficult to turn the head due to stiffness in |
| presence of symptoms for at least 6 weeks, to rule | | | | the neck. |
| out other possible medical conditions. A pediatric | | | | Systemic onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is the least |
| rheumatologist is an expert who specializes in arthritis | | | | common but affects both boys and girls alike. It is |
| in children, and may be required to treat children with | | | | associated with inflammation of the internal organs. |
| juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. | | | | Symptoms may include daily fever as high as 103 |
| There are three major types of juvenile rheumatoid | | | | degree and above, lasting for weeks or months. |
| arthritis, and it usually takes 6 months to determine the | | | | Inflammation and joint pain may, or may not, |
| type a child suffers from. These three types are: | | | | accompany the fever initially, but may appear months |
| Pauciarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis | | | | later. |