Juvenile arthritis (JA) is often difficult to detect because children may not complain about their pain. The symptoms of the condition may take weeks or months to become noticeable.

Many conditions develop their symptoms separately. For example, juvenile reactive arthritis develops its joint pain several weeks after an infection, usually in the gastrointestinal system in children.

The most common symptoms associated with JA include:

• Joint stiffness, pain or swelling. May be more noticeable in the morning or after a nap. The joint symptoms may vary from mild back pain to swollen, sausagelike fingers or toes.
  
  
• Fatigue and irritability.
  
  
• Unexplained fever.
  
  
• Skin problems. May include pink rashes and scaly skin patches.
  
  
• Eye problems. Can include redness, eye pain and sensitivity to light.
  
  
• Swollen lymph nodes.

There may be no external signs of a swollen joint in a child. These factors can make it difficult to detect if a child's joints are inflamed. In these cases, a parent may need to notice some other signs of illness, including:

• Limping
• Reluctance to use an arm or leg
• Uneven growth in limbs or gait disturbances
• Reduced level of activity
• Changed dental or eating habits as a result of jaw pain, dental pain or orofacial pain