When a young child complains about aching body parts, we say it could be growing pains. While often times this is the case, sometimes the pain is caused by an underlying problem…one like juvenile arthritis.
You may be asking yourself, “Isn’t arthritis something that affects older people?” The short answer: no! According to the Arthritis Foundation, juvenile arthritis affects about 295,000 adolescents in the United States each year.
What is Juvenile Arthritis?
Arthritis is a disease in which there is inflammation, or swelling, of the synovium, or tissue lining the inside of your joints. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases,
“Most forms of juvenile arthritis are autoimmune disorders, which means the body’s immune system—which normally helps to fight off bacteria or viruses—mistakenly attacks some of its own healthy cells and tissues…Doctors do not know why the immune system attacks healthy tissues in children who develop juvenile arthritis. Scientists suspect that it is a two-step process. First, something in a child’s genetic makeup gives him or her tendency to develop juvenile arthritis; then an environmental factor, such as a virus, triggers the development of the disease.”
The bottom line is arthritis has no minimum age requirement. You may get arthritis as a small child; it may affect you during your middle age years, or you may not feel it until you’re 80.
What’s the Difference Between Growing Pains and Juvenile Arthritis?
According to everydayhealth.com, the biggest difference between growing pains and juvenile arthritis is that when growing pains occur, there should be no pain or inflammation of the joint (two of the main symptoms of juvenile arthritis). The time during which symptoms occur may also be a factor; growing pains usually occur during the evening hours after an especially active day.
Potential Symptoms of Juvenile Arthritis
Pain symptoms from juvenile arthritis, on the other hand, can occur after a child wakes up in the morning or after a nap; your child may be limping or favoring one arm or leg. It can be tough to notice because as the day goes on, the condition will improve. A child complaining about their joints feeling “hot” could be showing signs of inflammation. Another indication of possible juvenile arthritis would be the swelling of the joints. Juvenile arthritis episodes commonly occur in two joints at once, for example in knees or feet.
If you are wondering if you’re child could be affected by juvenile arthritis, here are some of the other symptoms to watch out for:
-Pain
-Stiffness
-Swelling
-Fevers
-Rashes
-Weight loss
– Eye problems
Almost 300,000 children are affected in the United States each year by juvenile arthritis. If you are worried your child’s aches and pains could be something more serious, please make an appointment to visit your pediatrician right away!
https://ohiovalleyhospital.org/juvenile-arthritis-may-not-just-growing-pains/
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