Rheumatic Heart Disease & Fever

Verified By Apollo Hospitals September 17, 2024

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Rheumatic Fever Definition

Rheumatic fever is a relatively serious illness and complication which happens due to a reaction with bacteria that causes strep throat, group A streptococcus. It affects children in the ages of 5 and 15 and sometimes older children as well as adults and still not uncommon in sub-Saharan Africa, South Central Asia and parts of Australia and New Zealand. If left untreated, it can cause permanent damage to the heart,even death.

Rheumatic Fever Symptoms

Rheumatic fever symptoms show up after 2 or 3 weeks of a strep throat diagnosis. Check your child for the following symptoms and get a strep test done –

Sore throat
Sore throat with tender and swollen lymph nodes
Red rash
Difficulty in swallowing
Very thick discharge from nose, sometimes bloody
Temperature of 101°F and a fever which lasts more than 3 days
Red and swollen tonsils
White patches or pus in tonsils
Small, red spots on the roof of their mouth
Headache
Nausea/vomiting

Someone with rheumatic fever could experience a few, some or most of the following symptoms:

Fever
Muscle aches
Swollen and painful joints. In this condition, knees, ankles, elbows, and wrists become swollen and very often the pain migrates from one joint to another.
A red, lattice-like rash — typically begins two to four weeks after a bout of strep.
The most severe complication is the damage it can do to the heart. In more than half of all cases, rheumatic fever can cause scarring of the valves of the heart, and cause a serious condition known as rheumatic heart disease, which will lead to heart failure
Sydenham’s chorea is a temporary nervous system disorder where rapid, jerky, involuntary movements of the body happen. The muscles of the arms, legs, or face tend to twitch uncontrollably.

Rheumatic Fever Risk Factors

Some of the chances of developing rheumatic fever are:

Genetics – Family histories and certain genes make one more prone to rheumatic fever
Type of strep bacteria – With the type of strep bacteria present because certain elements make one more prone to rheumatic fever than others
Environmental factors in developing countries – Poor sanitation, overcrowding, and a lack of clean water

Rheumatic Fever Diagnosis

The doctor will ask for the following –

Symptoms and medical history, including a recent bout of strep throat
Abnormal skin rash and nodules and hard bumps under the skin
Check heart for abnormalities
Movement tests to check nervous system dysfunction
Examine joints for inflammation
Blood test for strep bacteria
Run an electrocardiogram (ECG) to check the status of the heart
Run an echocardiogram to produce images of their heart

Rheumatic Fever Treatment

Treatment means getting rid of all of the residual group A strep bacteria, treating and controlling the symptoms with any of the following:

Antibiotics – the treatment can last up to 5 years
Anti-Inflammatory Treatment to reduce pain and inflammation
Anticonvulsant Medications to control severe involuntary movements.
Bed rest until major symptoms like pain, inflammation and fever have passed.

Read more about our treatments for heart diseases Click here