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Rheumatic fever can damage body tissues by causing them to swell, but the greatest danger lies in the damage can do to your heart. More than half the time, rheumatic fever causes scarring of the heart valves. This scarring can narrow the valve and make it harder for the valve to open properly or to close completely. In turn, your heart must work harder to pump blood throughout your body. Valve damage can cause a condition called rheumatic heart disease, which at the time, can lead to congestive heart failure.
What causes rheumatic fever?
Rheumatic fever is not an infection itself, but rather the result of untreated throat infection. When the body senses an infection of the throat, it sends antibodies to fight it. Sometimes, these antibodies attack your joints or heart tissue instead. If the antibodies attack your heart, they can cause your heart valves to swell, which can cause scarring of the valve "doors." (The doors called leaflets.) Flyers scar makes it more difficult for both valves to open or close properly, or both.
Who is at risk for rheumatic fever?
Less than 0.3% of people who have strep throat also gets rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever is most common among children ages 5 to 15, but adults may have a condition as well. Doctors think that a weakened immune system may make some people more likely to get rheumatic fever. And, even though antibiotics have reduced the number of cases of rheumatic fever in developed countries, there are still thousands of cases reported.
What are the symptoms of rheumatic fever?
The symptoms of rheumatic fever usually begin 1 to 6 weeks after you have had a strep infection. The symptoms are:
- Fever
- Joint pain or swelling in your wrists, elbows, knees, or ankles.
- Small bumps under the skin over your elbows or knees (called nodules).
- A raised, red rash on your chest, back, or stomach.
- Stomach pain or feeling less hungry.
- Weakness, shortness of breath, or feeling very tired.
How is rheumatic fever diagnosed?
The doctor will begin by doing a throat culture to see if you have strep throat. To test for strep throat, he will run cotton in the back of your throat. The bacteria are collected on the tip of the sponge is placed on what is called culture, which allows bacteria to grow so that they can be analyzed.
Then, your doctor will use a stethoscope to listen to your heart. He also will look for nodules on your joints. Sometimes, blood tests, chest x-rays, or electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) may be required for more definitive diagnosis.
How is rheumatic fever treated?
Rheumatic fever should be treated immediately. If you have a sore throat that lasts more than 3 days, or if you have a fever and headaches along with sore throat, you should see your doctor for throat culture. If you do not have a sore throat but has a fever and skin rash, it also could mean strep throat, and you should see your doctor immediately. Remember that rheumatic fever can result from untreated throat infection, so it is important to treat the infection before it leads to a worse condition.
Lifestyle Changes
If rheumatic fever has led to rheumatic heart disease or damage to your heart valves, your doctor may recommend that you take antibiotic medicines continuously for many years. Some patients with rheumatic fever need to take antibiotics for the rest of their lives. In any case, you should always tell your doctor or dentist about your history of rheumatic fever before you have a surgical or dental procedure. Such procedures may cause bacteria to enter the bloodstream and infect your heart valves.
Medicine
If your doctor tells you that you have a throat infection, he will prescribe antibiotics. It is important that you take medicine when and how your doctor tells you. Do not stop taking the drug just because you begin to feel better. Many people find that they feel better after several days of therapy, so they stop taking their medication. Even if you do not return a sore throat, no antibiotic in the bloodstream, streptococcus bacteria can still multiply and affect the liver and other organs.
If your throat infection leads to rheumatic fever, the doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs or aspirin to reduce swelling in your body tissues. Sometimes, patients need to take a diuretic to help cleanse their body of excess water and salt. How long do you take them depends on how old you are, how many attacks you have, and how severe your symptoms.
Surgical Procedures
In some patients, rheumatic fever is heart valve damage. In this case, your doctor may recommend surgery to repair or replace the damaged valve.
Article Source: Pro Healthy Life
