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Physiological Aspects Of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Essay

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Physiological Aspects of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by arthritis in in one or more joints for at least six weeks (Prakken, Albani, Martini, 2011). JIA is a chronic condition consisting of swelling in any join in the body and is found in children age 16 years or younger. The peak age of onset is between 1-3 and 8-12 years old. The immune system attacks the body’s synovium, the joint lining, and this inflammation spreads to other parts of the joints.
Symptoms
There are a variety of symptoms that children with JIA experience and they vary depending upon the type of JIA. These symptoms can include morning stiffness, limping, fever, rashes, difficulty with fine motor skills, decreased appetite, weight loss, and fatigue or irritability. The main symptom is pain swelling and tenderness in the joints. The subtypes of JIA are characterized by the amount of joints affected. The subtype where four or less affected joints and there is eye inflammation, is oligoarthritis. Polyarthritis is a type of JIA that affects 5 or more joints in the first 6 months, including the neck, jaw, hands, and feet. Systemic arthritis occurs in 10-20% of children with JIA and affects the whole body system, not solely joints. Psoriatic arthritis affects children with a rash as well as the swollen joints.
Diagnosis and Treatment Diagnosis Diagnosis for JIA is difficult and is a diagnosis of exclusion, which comes from ruling

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