| Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that attacks the joints | | | | parts of the body become affected along with the |
| in the body, causing inflammation and pain. It can affect | | | | inflammation of some organs. Skin rashes, fever, |
| anyone at any age. Children are no exception to | | | | inflammation of the joints and internal organs such as |
| rheumatoid arthritis. In children, this chronic disease is | | | | the spleen and liver may accompany systemic |
| called as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and it also causes | | | | disease. |
| inflamed and stiff joints. | | | | The cause of the disease is unknown, even in the |
| Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis mostly affects children | | | | case of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The child |
| below the age of 16. Unlike the rheumatoid arthritis of | | | | complaining of joint pain is often examined to confirm |
| adults, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is a group of several | | | | for rheumatoid arthritis. The symptoms include difficulty |
| diseases. The only common characteristic of the adult | | | | to get up after sitting down, pain in the mornings while |
| and child rheumatoid arthritis is the "inflammation of | | | | waking up--everything that is caused by the stiffness |
| joints and pain". | | | | and swelling of the joints. They are also asked for a |
| Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is a collective disease. The | | | | family history of rheumatoid arthritis. Once the disease |
| three identified forms are pauciarticular, polyarticular | | | | is suspected, preliminary tests are conducted to |
| and systemic. In pouciarticular juvenile rheumatoid | | | | understand the intensity of the disease. On the basis |
| arthritis, a child may suffer from inflammation in few | | | | of the test results, the child is given treatment and |
| joints such as the knee and shoulder. If it is polyarticular, | | | | medication. While some have an easy recovery, |
| then many joints get inflamed simultaneously, for | | | | others suffer from more complicated symptoms. |
| example knees, wrists, elbows, and so on. Polyarticular | | | | Sometimes, in some children, the symptoms of juvenile |
| rheumatoid arthritis attacks symmetrically; for example, | | | | rheumatoid arthritis remain dormant for a period of |
| the joints of the left and right hand become | | | | time. It may suddenly emerge or "flare up" when the |
| inflammation at the same time. | | | | child least expects it. |
| Unlike pauciarticular and polyarticular, in systemic cases, | | | | |