Rheumatoid arthritis gets categorized as an autoimmune disorder. Immune system of individuals suffering from this condition destroys cells responsible for protecting our overall health. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis or JRA i.e. rheumatoid arthritis in children occurs in kids below 16 years of age. This form arthritis is frequently seen in adults, but nowadays several children are also diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Going by the recently obtained statistics, around 30,000 kids of the US are diagnosed with JRA. Like rheumatoid arthritis in adults, JRA is also marked by physical deformities like swelling of knuckles and joints, inflammation of lymph nodes, high fever etc.
A child can suffer from 3
rheumatoid arthritis forms; they are: pauciarticular JRA, polyarticular JRA and systematic JRA. The last form i.e. systematic JRA is the most severe form of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, but is an extremely rare condition. This condition is marked by joint aches that can spread to different organs of a child’s body. A comparatively higher percentage of children develop polyarticular JRA; this condition worsens as time goes by. The other form of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis i.e. pauciarticular JRA is a rather mild condition. Children with pauciarticular JRA suffer from ache in no more than four joints.
Why does a child develop rheumatoid arthritis? The exact triggering factor behind the occurrence of rheumatoid arthritis in kids is still not clear. However, according to some experts genetic factors may be responsible for onset of JRA.
The popular belief suggests that there’s no treatment for rheumatoid arthritis; but the truth is that juvenile rheumatoid arthritis can be treated successfully using a combination of medications, proper diet, physical therapy, exercises and eye care. If the condition is diagnosed at an early stage, the chances of getting rid of the condition completely are even higher.
