What is Juvenile Arthritis?
Everyone knows that arthritis is very common in adults. However, it is difficult to imagine children developing any sort of arthritis. Juvenile arthritis is an autoimmune disorder where the body does not recognize its own healthy tissues and attempts to attack itself by releasing inflammatory chemicals.
This inflammation travels to joints, blood vessels, and organs and causes pain, joint stiffness, and even problems with organ function. Researchers are not sure what the definite cause of juvenile arthritis is but think it could be related to gene activation after exposure to certain bacteria or viruses.
Juvenile arthritis affects nearly 300,000 children and teenagers in the United States each year. There are several types of juvenile arthritis, including juvenile idiopathic arthritis, juvenile myositis, juvenile lupus, vasculitis, and juvenile scleroderma.