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What Causes Childhood Arthritis?
By David Chandler
What is childhood arthritis?
Childhood arthritis is a disease that occurs in children under the
age of 16. It causes pain, stiffness, and swelling in one or more of
the joints. This pain, stiffness, and swelling are called
inflammation. With childhood arthritis, the inflammation lasts
longer than six weeks, and is not caused by an injury or other
illness. Childhood arthritis is also called juvenile arthritis.
How common is childhood arthritis? It affects 1 in 1,000 US
children under the age of 16.
Both boys and girls are affected by childhood arthritis. Arthritis is
not just a disease of old people. In fact, approximately one in
1,000 children under the age of 16 suffers from arthritis. Juvenile
arthritis is among the most common chronic childhood disorders.
What causes childhood arthritis?
The exact cause of childhood arthritis is unknown. Childhood
arthritis does not usually run in families and cannot be passed from
one person to another. The onset of childhood arthritis may follow
an infection or injury, but these events do not cause the arthritis.
With childhood arthritis, the body's immune system stops working
properly. The immune system's job is to fight off germs and
disease. However, in a child with childhood arthritis the immune
system attacks healthy tissues. What triggers this process is
unknown.
What can you do about childhood arthritis? If your child has
inflammation, in one or more joints for more than six weeks your
doctor may perform a physical examination of your child and order
tests, such as x-rays and blood tests to find out what is causing
the inflammation. There is not just one single symptom, sign, or
test that will give a diagnosis of childhood arthritis.
If your doctor thinks your child has childhood arthritis, he or she
will usually refer your child to a rheumatologist (pronounced room-
a-tol-o-jist). A rheumatologist is a doctor who has received special
training in the diagnosis and treatment of problems involving
inflammation of the joints, muscles and other parts of the body.
About the Author
For more information, visit http://www.arthritisinfocenter.com
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