Approximately 300,000 children in the U.S. have some form of arthritis (mainly juvenile rheumatoid arthritis) and not so surprisingly (to me), we the public are totally unaware of this. For those who don’t know, arthritis is the inflammation of joints and it is usually linked to persons over 50. So, why are our children being diagnosed with arthritis?
Specialists are not entirely certain, but they speculate that this disease is associated with the failure of their autoimmune system. In other words, the child’s immune system has a hard time differentiating between healthy normal cells and foreign invaders.
Here are some common symptoms of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: lethargy, poor appetite, joint pain (including swelling and tenderness), red puffy hands, firm bumps on the arms, and morning stiffness that lasts at least thirty minutes.
Children with arthritis vary in degree. Fortunately, arthritis can be easily treated. Medication along with exercise can help with inflammation and swelling.
For more information about this disease, please refer to the American College of Rheumatology, the Arthritis Foundation, wikipedia.org or thearthritispainreliever.com.