Juvenile Arthritis - Causes And Treatments of Juvenile Arthritis

Juvenile arthritis or formerly called Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) is described in children under the age of 16. The word 'rheumatoid' was dropped from the name because it is a misnomer giving people the idea that the disease process is much like the adult Rheumatoid Arthritis. It is not.

Juvenile Arthritis is also called Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, Juvenile Chronic Arthritis, and Childhood Arthritis. It is actually a collection of three different diseases that are arthritic in nature.

Juvenile arthritis affects 1 in 1,000 children in the United States. The hallmarks are pain, stiffness and swelling that last longer than six weeks and are not caused by an injury or another illness. Although the arthritis may initially present itself after an injury or illness these are not the cause.

The cause is actually unknown. There are no genetic factors that can be found, it doesn't run in families and it cannot be passed from one person to another. The how is known - the immune system of the sufferer begins to attack healthy tissue. The why is a mystery.

There is no single symptom or arthritis test to diagnose juvenile arthritis. Physicians will use blood tests and x-rays to rule out other illnesses such as rheumatic fever, and to gauge the extent of the disease as they plan treatment. The most qualified physicians to treat arthritis in children are rheumatologists. These are physicians who have had more years of special education and testing to diagnose and treat diseases that cause inflammation in joints, muscles and other tissues.

The diagnosis of the disease is often made in the first six months following the onset of symptoms. Pauciarticular arthritis is the most common accounting for approximately ½ of the cases diagnosed. In this arthritis the inflammation usually affects four joints or less, affects girls more than boys and is diagnosed under the age of four. Children with Pauciarticular arthritis can also develop inflammation in the eyes (uveitis) which leads to blindness if not treated.

Pauciarticular arthritis responds well to natural remedies such as Omega 3 fatty acids, which may decrease the amount of medication the child needs to maintain a level of comfort. Very few children go on to develop systemic symptoms and in some cases the arthritis resolves in several years.

Polyarticular arthritis accounts for 40% of the children diagnosed with arthritis each year. These children have at least 5 joints affected and the disease will often affect symmetrically. In other words if the left hand is affected the same joints in the right hand will also be painful and swollen.

Polyarticular arthritis is more likely to affect the small bones and joints and when the large bones are affected they grow at different rates affecting the way the child walks. The child will develop a limp and can develop osteoarthritis later in life. Children go to the doctor with complaints of fever, rash and a decreased appetite. The diagnosis is most severe when the child is over 10 and also is positive for rheumatoid factor.

Systemic arthritis affects joints and some of the organs. Children have skin rashes, fever and inflammation of internal organs like the spleen and liver. Some call the disease Still disease after the doctor who first described it.

Systemic arthritis affects boys more than girls and accounts for only 10% of the childhood arthritis diagnosis each year. The children first complain between the ages of 5 and 10 years. The initial symptoms don't usually affect the joints. There are serious complications from the inflammation throughout the body but interestingly this inflammation doesn't affect the eyes.

Treatment of all three types of arthritis center on decreasing pain and inflammation of the joints to improve the comfort of the child and improve the potential for normal growth and development of the bone structures as the child continues to grow.

Treatment can also include exercise programs that do not overly stress the joints and tissues such as swimming and stretching. Exercise will release endorphins that decrease the perception of pain and are an antidote for depression.

Juvenile arthritis is a catch phrase for a group of illnesses that cause inflammation, pain and redness in the joints, soft tissue and some organs of children. An accurate arthritis tests are needed to assign the correct treatments and to plan for the child's future.

Vanessa Youngstrom, a nurse practitioner, enjoys writing and educating on health and wellness topics. You?ll find more articles at http://www.HealthAndWellnessIssues.com

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Types of Juvenile Arthritis

Juvenile arthritis, also known as juvenile chronic arthritis, childhood arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis, has five different subtypes, or classifications, depending on the symptoms found within the first six months of diagnosis. These classifications are pauciarticular, polyarticular, systemic onset, spondyloarthropathy and psoriatic juvenile arthritis. Juvenile arthritis was once referred to as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis but the 'rheumatoid' was dropped as part of the name because it leads people to believe this disease is similar to rheumatoid arthritis in adults, which it is very different from in terms of symptoms, course of the disease and future outlook of the disease.

Pauciarticular juvenile arthritis affects less than four joints, usually the ankle, knee, elbow, or wrist and is the most common type of juvenile arthritis. This particular subtype affects around 45% of children diagnosed with juvenile arthritis, very few of which develop general, or body-wide, symptoms. Pauciarticular juvenile arthritis sufferers rarely experience bone growth problems or deformed joints, which may be associated with other types of juvenile arthritis. Some children with juvenile arthritis develop inflammation of the eye, known as uveitis, which can lead to blindness if it isn't treated promptly. Pauciarticular juvenile arthritis will sometimes disappear within a few years, but many children will experience cycles of remission and flares for the rest of their life.

Polyarticular juvenile arthritis affects about 40% of children diagnosed with juvenile arthritis and it affects more girls than boys. This subtype of juvenile arthritis affects children with a huge age gap and it is rarely first diagnosed between age three and ten. Polyarticular juvenile arthritis affects at least five joints at the same time, usually the small joints of the hands and feet, although the knee has been known to be affected as well. When the knee is affected by juvenile arthritis, the bones in the leg will begin to grow at different rates and one leg will become longer than the other. This can lead to arthritis in the hip or spine, which around half of all children diagnosed with this subtype of juvenile arthritis will develop. Polyarticular juvenile arthritis presents with general symptoms, such as decreased appetite, slight fever and a slight rash. Polyarticular juvenile arthritis is usually most severe in children who were primarily diagnosed after age 10 and they may test positive for rheumatoid factor. This is a marker found in other autoimmune disorders, including adult rheumatoid arthritis. If a child does test positive for this marker, they are more likely to develop deformed joints and many doctors consider this subtype of juvenile arthritis adult rheumatoid arthritis that occurs at an early age.

Systemic onset juvenile arthritis is sometimes called Still disease after the doctor who first described it. This subtype of juvenile arthritis occurs in approximately 10% of juvenile arthritis patients and affects boys and girls equally. Primary diagnosis is usually made between 5 and 10 years of age and may be difficult to diagnose accurately because the initial symptoms do not affect the joints. The initial symptoms are usually found with some type of infection, high fever, swollen lymph nodes, rash, loss of appetite and subsequent weight loss. Occasionally children with this subtype of juvenile arthritis will develop more serious complications, inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart (pericarditis), inflammation of the heart itself (myocarditis) and inflammation of the tissue lining the chest cavity and lungs (pleuritis). However, systemic onset juvenile arthritis rarely includes inflammation of the eye as seen in pauciarticular juvenile arthritis. When arthritis symptoms do begin to appear, often later in the course of this disease, they usually affect the wrists or ankles. Many of the children diagnosed with systemic onset juvenile arthritis will experience cycles of remissions and flares of the systemic symptoms throughout their childhood. Systemic onset juvenile arthritis sufferers will go on to develop polyarticular juvenile arthritis.

The final two subtypes of juvenile arthritis, spondyloarthropathy and psoriatic juvenile arthritis are rare. Spondyloarthropathy usually affects boys over the age of eight. It begins in the knees and ankles, slowly moving to include the lower spine and hips. Sometimes uveitis occurs, but resolves on its own. Psoriatic juvenile arthritis affects less than four joints in the beginning, but soon advances to other joints. The toes, hips, spine and fingers are the main joints affected by this subtype of juvenile arthritis. Children with this subtype of juvenile arthritis often suffer from psoriasis and have pits or ridges on their fingernails. This arthritis often disables the child.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Arthritis

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