How to Recognize The Signs and Symptoms of Juvenile Arthritis

Unfortunately, many patients who suffer from juvenile arthritis are not diagnosed until the disease has significantly progressed.

Many parents and physicians put off the complaints of a younger person as over exertion and “growing pains.”

There are some pretty definite signs and symptoms of juvenile arthritis and any time some or all of the symptoms present themselves, a child or young adult should be checked out by a qualified physician.

Juvenile arthritis is generally diagnosed by the time a child is 16, although a few late cases have been noted.

The following is an outline of recognizing the signs and symptoms of juvenile arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, or juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, or juvenile idiopathic arthritis, is generally marked by numerous high fevers. These fevers are often accompanied by skin rashes, which can be so severe that the rashes cover the entire body but are more often centralized. This is known as systemic onset and can be complicated by the addition of internal organ involvement as well.

2. In the very young, generally younger than age 5 years, juvenile arthritis is accompanied by swollen joints and the accompaniment of inflammation of the eyes. Only about ten percent of patients experience chronic eye inflammatory problems, but this can be a symptom of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis or juvenile idiopathic arthritis with an early age onset.

3. Most juvenile arthritis cases involve 5 or more joints. Any child under the age of 18 that starts complaining of multiple joint site pain should be immediately evaluated by a physician. While some children experience juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in only one joint, more than 80% experience 5 or more affected joints.

4. Sudden unexplained swelling and tenderness of any joint can indicate the onset of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, or juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Athletic children often associate the sudden swelling and tenderness of a joint as a sports related injury. When juvenile arthritis is present, the swelling and the pain might fluctuate but does not disappear for significant periods of time without medication.

5. It’s important to note that young children afflicted by disease are not likely to complain of pain. As juvenile arthritis can set in as young as infancy, many children under the age of five do not complain about the pain enough to receive medical attention.
   
   It should also be noted that many children are likely to grow out of their painful symptoms, as opposed to adults who are much more likely to experience symptoms for the remainder of their lives. Children diagnosed at the later stages of their teens are often diagnosed again when they reach 20 with adult rheumatoid arthritis.

6. While you're here be sure to take a look around for more tips and information about juvenile arthritis.