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| Blog contributed by Kathleen Zimmerman, MD, Pediatrician |
Most forms of Juvenile Arthritis are autoimmune. This means that the child’s immune system is
attacking their healthy cells. It is
thought that this autoimmune attack may be triggered by a virus and in some
cases children have a genetic risk if arthritis is in the family.
Arthritis in children can have different symptoms and these
symptoms can come and go for long periods of time. The most common symptom is constant joint
swelling, joint pain, and stiffness.
This may be in one joint or in multiple joints. Some children are limping or clumsy because
of the joint pains. The pain is often
worse in the mornings. Other symptoms may
be high fevers or skin rashes that don’t have another cause. Children may also have eye inflammation and
growth problems.
There is not a single test for Juvenile Arthritis. Your child’s doctor may suspect arthritis if
they have the symptoms above and they do not have an explanation (no recent
injury or recent illness) and also if the symptoms do not go away on their
own. If your child was suspected to have
Juvenile arthritis they would need a thorough exam of the joints as well as
bloodwork. Referral to a Rheumatologist (specialist in arthritis) is typically
recommended to help with the diagnosis and treatment.
Juvenile Arthritis is a chronic illness that comes and
goes. During a “flare”, children may
need medication to help control their symptoms. Physical therapy is helpful as
well. If the pain is severe or difficult
to treat, stronger medications that suppress the immune system are used to calm
the symptoms down and allow the child to live a more normal life. The goal is for the child to remain active
and to have long periods of “remission”, where the symptoms are gone for months
to years. Children with juvenile
arthritis may also have “silent” problems with the eyes or growth (without
symptoms). Therefore, it is also important
to have regular eye exams and checkups even if they have no symptoms.
Researchers are working on finding causes of Juvenile
arthritis and also researching better medications with fewer side effects. To learn more about Juvenile Arthritis and
the most recent science on these diseases you can go the National Institute of
Health site: www.niams.nih.gov and the
Arthritis Foundation site: www.arthritis.org
