What Is Arthritis?
Arthritis (say: arth-ry-tiss) is a disease that causes swelling, stiffness, and pain in a person's joints.Joints are where two bones meet, allowing our bodies to move the hips, knees, ankles, elbows, shoulders, knuckles, etc. Joints contain synovial fluid, which acts as a lubricant to help them move easily.Arthritis can keep joints from working properly.
But isn't arthritis something that only old people get?
Actually, kids can get a kind of arthritis called juvenile idiopathic arthritis or JIA (it's also called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, or JRA). Juvenile means young, so this means that JIA is different from the arthritis that adults get. Kids can have many different types of arthritis, but JIA is the most common.
Many problems can cause pain and swelling of the joints, so a doctor will want to know how long these problems have been going on. To be considered JIA, the joints must have swelling and pain for at least 6 weeks.
No one really knows what causes JIA. Something in the environment, like a virus, may trigger the disease in kids that already have certain genes that make it more likely for them to get it. (Genes are like instructions to the body on how to work. Genes are passed on from parents to their children and they decide everything from the color of a person's eyes to whether that person has a tendency to get a particular disease. Genes are part of our DNA and are found in the body's cells.)
JIA is not contagious, so you can't catch it from someone else.
Arthritis is an autoimmune (say: aw-toe-i-myoon) disease. An autoimmune disease means a person's immune system makes a mistake and attacks the body's own tissues or organs. Normally, a kid's immune system sends out white blood cells to protect the body and fight outside invaders like bacteria and viruses that can make a kid sick. But with an autoimmune disease like JIA, the immune system makes a mistake and attacks healthy cells.
Instead of recognizing the healthy cells and saying, "Hi, nice to see you," the immune system thinks the healthy cells need to be destroyed and releases chemicals to fight the healthy cells. The chemicals released by the immune system cause the pain and swelling that can happen with arthritis.
Just because a joint hurts doesn't mean a kid has JIA. A joint might hurt for a lot of different reasons, which is why it's important to see a doctor to figure out what the problem is.
The doctor will ask a lot of questions: How long has the kid had joint problems? Does he or she feel stiff when getting up or after resting? Are the joints swollen? Was there an injury? Could another problem be causing arthritis, such as Lyme disease? Is there a family history of arthritis or other autoimmune diseases?
Getting these answers and doing a physical exam, blood tests, and X-rays will help the doctor figure out if it is JIA. If your doctor thinks you may have it, he or she may send you to see a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis. This kind of doctor is called a rheumatologist (say: roo-muh-tol-oh-jist).
Some kids who have JIA might take medicine like ibuprofen to help control pain and inflammation. If the arthritis is more severe, they may need to take other medicines to help lower the pain and inflammation. Some of these medicines are pills, but others are shots.
It's important that kids with JIA keep their joints moving. Often a kid will see a physical therapist or occupational therapist. In addition to working with children to move their joints and strengthen their muscles, these therapists can help create special exercise programs for home or school that can help a kid stay active.
In addition to joint problems, JIA may cause uveitis (say: yoo-vee-eye-tus), an inflammation of the eye that can lead to problems with vision if it's not treated. All kids diagnosed with JIA should get their eyes checked by an ophthalmologist, a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating eye problems. If the eyes are affected, they may be treated with eye drops.
Besides taking medicines, akid can do a few things to help with the symptoms of JIA:
Kids with JIA can have a lot of stiffness when they first wake up in the morning. Once their joints warm up, they can usually move more easily. That's why you might notice that someone with JIA has trouble moving early in the day, but seems better later on.
It's important to find a good balance between activity (which helps kids stay flexible) and rest (which everyone needs). Swimming is a great exercise for someone with JIA. It stretches a lot of different muscles and tendons and helps keep a kid moving and flexible. It's important to stay active even when a kid isn't having symptoms.
Sometimes kids with JIA can go a long time, even months or years, without the disease bothering them. Then it comes back. This is called a flare-up or flare. Flare-ups just happen and can't be prevented. It can be frustrating if a flare-up happens on a day when the kid would like to be doing something fun, like attending a birthday party.
If you know someone with JIA, you may offer to carry books or give other help, if needed. It's also OK if the person doesn't want help.
The good news is that many kids with JIA will outgrow it. About half of kids with JIA may not need treatment as adults.
And even when the arthritis flares up, almost all kids with JIA can control it with medicine and other treatments, which means they can do most things that other kids can do.
Date reviewed: April 2016
View post:
Arthritis (for Kids)
- Team USA diver from The Woodlands fights juvenile arthritis - FOX 26 Houston - May 5th, 2024
- The best products for arthritis in hands 2024 - National Geographic - May 5th, 2024
- Analysis Strongly Supports Turmeric Supplementation to Improve Arthritis and Osteopenia - Good News Network - May 5th, 2024
- May is arthritis awareness month - SSM Health - May 5th, 2024
- Lower CVD Risk With Stable DMARD Therapy in Seropositive RA - Medscape - May 5th, 2024
- Arthritis Pain: Which Vitamins and Minerals Are Best? - Shape Magazine - May 5th, 2024
- Psoriatic Arthritis Triggers: Stress, Illness, Weather and More - Health Central - May 5th, 2024
- Arthritis Foundation Partners with Target to Produce Ease of Use Design Guides for Product and Packaging Design - AccessWire - May 5th, 2024
- MSPCA seeks donations to help offset cost of surgery for German shepherd with severe arthritis - Boston News ... - Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH... - May 5th, 2024
- Team USA diver from The Woodlands fights juvenile arthritis - FOX 5 Atlanta - May 5th, 2024
- May 18: It's time to Walk to Cure Arthritis - Manchester Ink Link - May 5th, 2024
- Cracking Knuckles Causes Arthritis And Other Common Myths Debunked - Onlymyhealth - May 5th, 2024
- Fast Five Quiz: The Role of Joint Replacement Surgery in PsA - Page 2 - Medscape Reference - May 5th, 2024
- Arthritic Therapeutic Market Poised to Surpass $136.1+ Billion Globally by 2032, Fueled by a 5.5% CA - PharmiWeb.com - May 5th, 2024
- Pharmacist explains best diet to reduce arthritis, inflammation and joint pain - The Mirror - March 10th, 2024
- Teen Raises Funds to Fight Arthritis - Arthritis Foundation - March 10th, 2024
- Is there a higher risk of depression among specific populations of patients with rheumatoid arthritis? - News-Medical.Net - March 10th, 2024
- Here's How to Explain Your Arthritis Pain to Your Doctor So They Actually Get It - Northwest Georgia News - March 10th, 2024
- Despite Their Prevalence, Arthritis, Neck and Back Pain Receive Few Research Dollars, Analysis Finds | BIDMC of ... - Beth Israel Deaconess Medical... - March 10th, 2024
- This Is the Difference Between Rheumatoid and Psoriatic Arthritis - Prescott Daily Courier - March 10th, 2024
- The #1 Early Sign of Arthritis Most People Miss, According to a Rheumatologist - Northwest Georgia News - March 10th, 2024
- The Efficacy and Safety of Apremilast in the Management of Psoriatic Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - Cureus - March 10th, 2024
- MU Researchers Participating in International Clinical Study Targeting Prevention of Osteoarthritis - University of Missouri School of Medicine - March 10th, 2024
- Review: Real-World Evidence Confirms Effectiveness and Safety of Adalimumab Biosimilar SB5 - The Center for Biosimilars - March 10th, 2024
- A Gender-Bias-Mitigated, Data-Driven Precision Medicine System to Assist in the Selection of Biological Treatments of ... - Cureus - March 10th, 2024
- Young arthritis cases are on the rise, new research suggests - The Examiner - March 10th, 2024
- Quiz: ACR Guideline for the Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis - MD Magazine - February 10th, 2024
- Psoriatic arthritis: What to know about medications for children - Medical News Today - February 10th, 2024
- Ancient Egyptian woman had holes on her bones. Experts say its rare case of disease - Miami Herald - February 10th, 2024
- Arthritis and Pregnancy: Fertility, Gestation, Postpartum - Verywell Health - February 10th, 2024
- 3500-year-old burial of Nubian woman reveals 1 of world's earliest known cases of rheumatoid arthritis - Livescience.com - February 10th, 2024
- Impact of frailty severity and severe pain on cognitive function for community-dwelling older adults with arthritis: a cross ... - Nature.com - February 10th, 2024
- IHL-675A: Advancing Towards Innovative Arthritis Solutions, with Mark Bleackley, PhD - MD Magazine - February 10th, 2024
- Insomnia, Shorter Sleep Duration Linked to the Risk of Autoimmune Arthritis - MD Magazine - February 10th, 2024
- Advancements in Psoriatic Arthritis Treatment for Children: A Beacon of Hope - Medriva - February 10th, 2024
- Breakthrough Molecule RvT4 Reverses Inflammation and Clears Arterial Blockages in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients - SciTechDaily - February 10th, 2024
- Personal Experience with Psoriatic Arthritis and Atopic Dermatitis - Medriva - February 10th, 2024
- EULAR Recommendations on Imaging in Crystal-Induced Arthropathies (CiA) - Medriva - February 10th, 2024
- The Importance of Ultrasound-Guided Synovial Biopsy in the Workup of Seronegative Inflammatory Arthritis: A Case ... - Cureus - February 10th, 2024
- Autoimmune diseases like lupus, MS, and rheumatoid arthritis strike far more women than men. Scientists now think they know why - Fortune - February 2nd, 2024
- Multiple Ulcers in the Ileum and Lymphadenopathy Following the Usage of Methotrexate in a Patient With Rheumatoid ... - Cureus - February 2nd, 2024
- These are the best arthritis creams of 2024, according to health experts - Yahoo Life - February 2nd, 2024
- Do Your Joints Ache When a Storm Is Brewing? Here's What's Really Happening - DISCOVER Magazine - February 2nd, 2024
- Olympic bronze medalist opens up about balancing arthritis with motherhood and triathlon - TRI247 - February 2nd, 2024
- Some Dinosaurs May Have Had Arthritis 90 Million Years Ago - IFLScience - February 2nd, 2024
- 3500-year-old remains of ancient Egyptian suffering from rheumatoid arthritis uncovered - Xinhua - February 2nd, 2024
- Lupus and other autoimmune diseases strike far more women than men. Now there's a clue why - The Associated Press - February 2nd, 2024
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Day on February 2: What you need to know - CNBCTV18 - February 2nd, 2024
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Day 2024: Signs, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Prevention - News18 - February 2nd, 2024
- Improving arthritis in cold weather | Health Smart - WPMT FOX 43 - February 2nd, 2024
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Day: History, Significance And All You Need To Know - ABP Live - February 2nd, 2024
- Dietary Factors Tied to Osteoarthritis Pain | MedPage Today - Medpage Today - February 2nd, 2024
- Cold-weather coping tips for people with arthritis, osteoporosis and lung diseases - Southernminn.com - February 2nd, 2024
- How to manage arthritis and joint pain: Effective tips for knee pain relief - Health shots - February 2nd, 2024
- New study illuminates the genetics of thumb arthritis treatment - News-Medical.Net - January 25th, 2024
- Rheumatoid arthritis: 30 minutes of walking may lower blood pressure - Medical News Today - January 25th, 2024
- RA Disease Activity Assessed Too Little After Starting TNFi - Medscape - January 25th, 2024
- Lifestyle tips for youth's bone health: Avoid these habits to prevent arthritis - Hindustan Times - January 25th, 2024
- Best arthritis pain relief cream of 2024, according to experts - AOL - January 25th, 2024
- Vasculitis, an Early Unusual Presentation of Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Case Report - Cureus - January 25th, 2024
- Patients with later menarche, earlier menopause have higher risk for rheumatoid arthritis - Healio - January 25th, 2024
- Investigating Maternal Inflammatory Arthritis and Pregnancy Outcomes < Yale School of Medicine - Yale School of Medicine - January 25th, 2024
- Rheumatoid Arthritis and Diabetes: What's the Connection? - Health Central - January 25th, 2024
- Oxidative DNA Damage and Zinc Status in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis in Duhok, Iraq - Cureus - January 25th, 2024
- Changes Afoot for the Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis with Marked Gains in Preference and Utilization of IL-17 Inhibitors - Yahoo Finance - January 25th, 2024
- The Connection Between Potassium and Rheumatoid Arthritis - Health Central - January 25th, 2024
- What Is the ACR20 (American College of Rheumatology) Criteria? - Health Central - January 25th, 2024
- RA Treatment Advances and Where They Are Headed - Health Central - January 25th, 2024
- TMC Medical Minutes- Arthritis & Cold Weather - KXII - January 25th, 2024
- How to deal with joint and arthritis pain in the cold weather - Crossroads Today - January 25th, 2024
- Arthritis: Regular exercises, calcium-rich diet and other habits to keep your bones strong and healthy - Moneycontrol - January 25th, 2024
- Men With Arthritis Have Higher Fertility Rates, Study Finds - Zenger.News - January 25th, 2024
- Pain on Top of Foot: 5 Causes, Swelling, Treatment - Verywell Health - January 25th, 2024
- Understanding Rheumatoid Arthritis in Women: Genetics, Hormones, and Impact - Medriva - January 25th, 2024
- Arthritis | Johns Hopkins Medicine - January 9th, 2024
- Ideal cardiovascular health metrics have better identification of arthritis - BMC Public Health - BMC Public Health - January 9th, 2024
- Acupuncture for Arthritis: Benefits and Risks - Verywell Health - January 9th, 2024
- Why do arthritic horses have more trouble during the winter? - EQUUS Magazine - January 9th, 2024
- Rather than roll over and die, I'm like, 'No, I still want to play': Steve Morse says arthritis diagnosis forced him to ... - Guitar.com - January 9th, 2024
- Top Signs that Your RA Treatment May No Longer Be Working - Health Central - January 9th, 2024