Juvenile Arthritis Does Exist: Debunking the Myth

Many young people who have arthritis are forced to suffer because their doctors refuse to treat them, believing that it is impossible at all for them to have such a condition. These doctors believe that arthritis only affects individuals who are older; however, that is far from the truth. Not only is this belief among some doctors entirely ignorant, but it shows that they either did not pay attention in medical school because they obviously missed that part of their medical training or they did not pass medical school on their own volition because they paid others to do all of their work. These doctors fail to realize that there is a condition called juvenile arthritis, a condition that currently affects well over three hundred thousand children in the United States (The Nemours Foundation). Now, that is a lot of children who can potentially be ignored by ignorant doctors, causing them to live a childhood of severe pain and suffering, especially if the arthritis is chronic and severe.

Arthritis is a condition that causes inflammation of the joints. Inflammation is characterized by symptoms of swelling, pain, and heat. Sometimes, arthritis may only last a few weeks or months. In other cases, it can last for years or can affect an individual for life (The Nemours Foundation).

While there are several forms of arthritis that affect children, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is the most prevalent. This form of arthritis affects over fifty thousand children. Children can develop this form of arthritis as young as six months of age (The Nemours Foundation).

The first signs of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis are joints that are red, swollen, and warm to the touch. As the condition progresses, symptoms can become more severe and even debilitating, causing the child to have a substandard quality of life. Sometimes, the condition can become severe enough that children may have trouble moving or may end up in a wheelchair and possibly become bedridden. It is possible for the condition to go into remission if early treatment is sought. But depending on the severity of the condition, it may never go into remission, and the child will be affected for life (The Nemours Foundation).

It is very important for parents to educate themselves about juvenile arthritis, especially if their children are showing signs of having the condition. There is a great deal of power in having this knowledge because this knowledge will better enable parents to advocate for their children, and it will save them the time and frustration of dealing with ignorant doctors. Not to mention, having knowledge of juvenile arthritis will enable the affected children of these parents to have early treatment, which will drastically improve the quality of life for these children.

Work Cited

The Nemours Foundation. "Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis." Kid's Health. N.p., 2010. Web. 24 July
2010. http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/arthritis/jra.html.