Rheumatic fever causes the body to attack its own tissues. This reaction causes widespread inflammation throughout the body, which is the basis for all symptoms of rheumatic fever.
Rheumatic fever is caused by a reaction to the bacterium that causes strep throat. If your or your child have a sore throat along with any of the following symptoms, see your doctor for an evaluation:. A wide variety of symptoms are associated with rheumatic fever. A person with the illness could experience a few, some, or most of the following symptoms.
Symptoms usually appear two to four weeks after your child has a strep infection. If your child has a fever, they might require immediate care. Seek immediate medical care for your child in the following situations:. Read more about fevers in babies. Next, a physical exam will be given. If you need help finding a pediatrician, you can browse doctors in your area through the Healthline FindCare tool.
Treatment will involve getting rid of all of the residual group A strep bacteria and treating and controlling the symptoms. This can include any of the following:. In rare cases, your child may receive lifelong antibiotic treatment. Anti-inflammatory treatments include pain medications that are also anti-inflammatory , such as aspirin Bayer or naproxen Aleve, Naprosyn.
Doctors may also prescribe a corticosteroid to reduce inflammation. Strict bed rest will be recommended for a few weeks to a few months if the fever has caused heart problems.
This means ensuring your child completes all prescribed doses of medication. Practicing proper hygiene methods can help prevent strep throat:. Once they develop, the symptoms of rheumatic fever can last for months or even years. It is important that the person seeks prompt medical attention for any future throat infections.
There is currently no vaccine for rheumatic fever, but Australian medical scientists are working to develop a Streptococcus vaccine. A vaccine that prevents streptococcal infections wouldalso be expected to prevent rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. People are less sensitive to smells the older they get, and women tend to have a more acute sense of smell than men.
Anthrax is a rare but potentially fatal bacterial disease that occasionally infects humans. The Western obsession with cleanliness may be partly responsible for the increase in allergic asthma and conditions such as rhinitis. Careful prescribing of antibiotics will minimise the emergence of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria.
Aspergillus is a fungus that commonly grows on rotting vegetation. It can cause asthma symptoms. Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional. The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website.
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The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. Skip to main content. Ear nose and throat. Home Ear nose and throat. Rheumatic fever. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. Doctors treat symptoms of rheumatic fever with medicines like aspirin to reduce fever, pain, and general inflammation.
In addition, all patients with rheumatic fever should get antibiotics that treat group A strep infections. People who develop rheumatic heart disease with symptoms of heart failure may require medicines to help manage this as well.
If rheumatic fever is not treated promptly, long-term heart damage called rheumatic heart disease may occur. Rheumatic heart disease weakens the valves between the chambers of the heart.
Severe rheumatic heart disease can require heart surgery and result in death. Having a group A strep infection does not protect someone from getting infected again in the future. People can also get rheumatic fever more than once. However, there are things people can do to protect themselves and others. The best way to keep from getting or spreading group A strep infections such as strep throat or scarlet fever is to wash your hands often, especially after coughing or sneezing and before preparing foods or eating.
Preventive antibiotics help protect people who had rheumatic fever from getting it again. Prophylaxis can include daily antibiotics by mouth or a shot into the muscle every few weeks. Top of Page.
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