Symptoms of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
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Loading ...Arthritis is normally only associated with old people; however it does also affect children. Arthritis is actually more common in children than you might have previously thought, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is the most common form of arthritis to affect children.
There are three main types of JRA, and so the symptoms will differ with each.
Pauciarticular JRA
This affects a maximum of 4 joints. It normally starts in one large joint such as the knee. The affected joints will be painful, and stiff especially in the morning. Your child may limp or protect one joint more than the others. This type of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis affects the knees, so walking can be a problem. Unlike other forms of rheumatoid arthritis this form is not symmetrical, therefore normally only one knee will hurt, rather than both.
Polyarticular JRA
This affects five or more joints; it is most likely to affect the knee and hip. It can also affect the hands, wrist, neck or jaw. Affected joints will be swollen, painful and stiff. Joint symptoms are symmetric, this means if one knee hurts then the other one should hurt. This type of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis can affect the growth of bones, possibly causing the legs to grow at different rates. A child with one leg shorter than the other will have to walk with a limp, putting undue pressure on the knee.
Systemic JRA
This affects the whole body; joint swelling is not always present as soon as the disease develops. Children usually notice a fever that spikes at night time, all over body pain, rash, weight loss and weakness. This is the most worrying form of JRA as it affects the whole body, internal organs can also become swollen including the spleen. After a certain amount of time more and more joints will be affected.
Symptoms of JRA will differ from child to child, and often change on a daily basis. Since children simply grow out of JRA, where as others have a persistent condition that can last for months or years.
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