Risk Factors and Symptoms for Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) is a chronic inflammatory joint disease that generally begins before age of 16. What are some of the risk factors and symptoms?
There may be a genetic predisposition to JRA. Studies show that people who have a certain gene marker are more likely to develop it than those without. It is believed to be an autoimmune disease that can be triggered by environmental factors if the genetic precursor is present. It also appears to be more common in Caucasians and in girls. There is no known preventative for JRA.
Symptoms of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis include painful joints in the ankle, knee, finger or wrist, especially in the morning or after a nap. The child could develop stiffness in a joint or joints, and swelling may be noticeable in affected joints.
Other symptoms that could be a sign that your child has JRA are high fevers of unknown cause, mostly at night, rashes that appear and disappear, joints that are red or warm to the touch, swollen glands, painful or red eyes, eye pain in bright light and other visual changes. There might even be bone growth in legs or arms of children with JRA.
The symptoms may not all be present and may vary with the type of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, as there are three classifications determined by the number of joints affected, results of blood tests and other signs and symptoms.
There is no test for JRA, but the doctor will use the symptoms and other tests to rule out any other conditions. Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis needs to be treated by a physician. This condition can lead to blindness in some cases and to joint damage that cannot be reversed. If you suspect your child may have JRA, please contact his or her physician for evaluation and testing. There are treatments to help ease the pain and inflammation of this potentially debilitating disease.
RESOURCE:
Mayo Clinic; Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis; http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/juvenile-rheumatoid-arthritis/DS00018/DSECTION=symptoms
There may be a genetic predisposition to JRA. Studies show that people who have a certain gene marker are more likely to develop it than those without. It is believed to be an autoimmune disease that can be triggered by environmental factors if the genetic precursor is present. It also appears to be more common in Caucasians and in girls. There is no known preventative for JRA.
Symptoms of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis include painful joints in the ankle, knee, finger or wrist, especially in the morning or after a nap. The child could develop stiffness in a joint or joints, and swelling may be noticeable in affected joints.
Other symptoms that could be a sign that your child has JRA are high fevers of unknown cause, mostly at night, rashes that appear and disappear, joints that are red or warm to the touch, swollen glands, painful or red eyes, eye pain in bright light and other visual changes. There might even be bone growth in legs or arms of children with JRA.
The symptoms may not all be present and may vary with the type of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, as there are three classifications determined by the number of joints affected, results of blood tests and other signs and symptoms.
There is no test for JRA, but the doctor will use the symptoms and other tests to rule out any other conditions. Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis needs to be treated by a physician. This condition can lead to blindness in some cases and to joint damage that cannot be reversed. If you suspect your child may have JRA, please contact his or her physician for evaluation and testing. There are treatments to help ease the pain and inflammation of this potentially debilitating disease.
RESOURCE:
Mayo Clinic; Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis; http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/juvenile-rheumatoid-arthritis/DS00018/DSECTION=symptoms
Published by Jolynne M Hudnell
Jolynne is a part-time freelance writer and independently-published poet. Jolynne has knowledge and experience in a variety of topics. Jolynne enjoys singing and writing poetry. Her published work in... View profile
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