Juvenile Arthritis (JRA) Also known as Stills disease, arthritis affects one in one thousand children every year. The majority of children with arthritis have what is known as acute reactive arthritis following a viral or bacterial infection. This type usually clears up in a few weeks or months. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is the most common type of persistent arthritis, lasting for months or years. There are three main forms of JRA.
This is defined by the involvement of fewer than four joints at the start of the illness. It may start as a swollen knee or ankle which appears without injury or explanation. There may be no associated pain. This form is very often mild and can be treated with mild nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Pauciarticular JRA can cause two important problems. The child may develop inflammation of the eye, which if left untreated, can lead to scarring of the lens and permanent visual damage, even blindness. Because the eye disease is more common in children who test positive for antinuclear antibodies (ANA), these children need to be examined by an eye specialist every three months. All other children with JRA need an eye examination every six months. The second complication with pauciarticular JRA is that it may cause the bones in the legs to grow at different rates so that one leg is longer than the other, causing the child to limp. Limping damages the knee and the hip, leading to premature arthritis from “wearing out” the joints by the time the child reaches adulthood. This problem should be prevented if at all possible. Polyarticular JRA This type of arthritis involves four or more joints from the start of the disease. It also usually worsens over time, but it can be successfully treated with nonsteroidal anit-inflammatory drugs and, in severe cases, with gold shots to reduce joint inflammation or antirheumatic drugs such as methotrexate. Systemic Onset JRA This more severe or more troublesome form of JRA starts with a high fever and a rash. The fever is usually high once or twice each day and then returns to normal. This type of JRA can affect the internal organs. With prompt and appropriate treatment most children recover from JRA over time. Because rheumatoid arthritis is often considered an illness of older people, there may be a delay in diagnosing it in a child. Be that the case, it is extremely important that this condition be diagnosed early for successful treatment. Thank You for visiting Arthritis Help for You! Herbal Supplements – Arthritis Supplements |
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