without treatment, joints may become permanently damaged.
Fatigue
The joint pain from arthritis can disrupt sleep. Chronic inflammation can also cause constant fatigue.
Loss of appetite
Loss of appetite is also common in young children with JIA.
Uneven growth
Arthritis at a young age can damage joints. Depending on the joints involved, bones near those inflamed joints may grow more quickly than they’re naturally supposed to, causing limbs to be uneven.
Severe juvenile arthritis can also hinder growth. However, when the inflammation is contained, growth issues generally improve.
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Eye problems
Common eye issues related to JIA are blurry vision or dry eyes.
Certain types of JIA can result in inflammatory eye issues. JIA can cause eye pain, redness, and sensitivity to light.
These symptoms should be treated right away, as they can cause long-term harm to vision.
Fever and skin rash
Inflammation can cause rashes and fevers.
Children living with JIA may experience a high fever and a light pink rash on their skin. The rash most commonly appears on the:
- Chest
- Abdomen
- Back
- Hands
- Feet
The rash and the fever appear together and can come and go very suddenly. A fever from JIA can last for weeks.
Psoriasis, a red, itchy rash, can also present with psoriatic juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Swollen lymph nodes and internal organs
Systemic JIA can cause lymph nodes to swell up and become inflamed. Lymph nodes are found all over the body.
Sometimes, swelling can spread to the internal organs, affecting the heart, liver, spleen, and tissue surrounding the organs. In rare cases, the lungs can become inflamed. A rare but severe complication called macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) can occur when the immune system goes into extreme overdrive.