Juvenile Arthritis (JA)

Juvenile Arthritis

Juvenile Arthritis (JA) affects about 300,000 children 18 years old and younger.

It is considered an autoimmune disorder. Typically the immune system protects the body and fights off harmful diseases and illnesses caused by bacteria or a virus.

However, for some unknown reason the immune system attacks the body. This is an autoimmune disorder.

Researchers have theories about what causes autoimmune disorders. One theory is that children may have a gene from a parent that makes a child more susceptible to the disorder. Then something such as a virus triggers the disorder.

JA typically affects the knees, hands and feet. The morning or after periods of rest the symptoms worsen. The usual symptoms are joint swelling, pain, and stiffness. Other less common signs are clumsiness, fever, skin rash and swollen lymph nodes.

The websites listed below are a great source of information.

I could write so much more about JA but really it would be better to go directly to the links provided below. There is so much information available for each subtype of JA and organizations to contact.

The goal of this blog and the others is to spark an interest and bring to your attention to a particular illness or disease or other health related issue.

Thanks for reading.

For more information please visit:

http://www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/juv_arthritis/juvenile_arthritis_ff.asp

http://www.arthritis.org/about-arthritis/types/juvenile-arthritis/

http://www.kidsgetarthritistoo.org/?_ga=1.262344652.1929416106.1436387376