Rheumatic fever, popularly called rheumatism in the blood, is a disease caused by an autoimmune reaction of the body after infections caused by bacteria.
This disease is more common in children between 5 and 15 years old and usually causes symptoms such as pain and inflammation in the joints, as well as fever and tiredness. In addition, rheumatism in the blood can also affect the nervous system and even the heart valves, impairing the functioning of the heart.
Rheumatism in the blood must be treated as soon as the first symptoms appear, to avoid the appearance of permanent lesions in the brain or heart, which can lead to complications such as stenosis of the heart valves or heart failure, for example.
Main symptoms
One of the first symptoms of rheumatism in the blood is the presence of inflammation in a large joint, such as the knee, which lasts a few days, heals itself and then appears in another joint, and so on.
However, it can also be accompanied by other symptoms such as:
- Fever above 38ยบ C; Small nodules under the skin, more common in wrists, elbows or knees; Chest pain; Red spots on the trunk or arms, which worsen when in the sun.
Depending on whether or not there is already a cardiac involvement, there may still be tiredness and an increase in heart rate. If there is brain involvement, there may be behavioral changes, such as crying and tantrums, and motor changes, such as involuntary movements or convulsions.
See more signs of rheumatic fever.
Possible causes
The most common cause of rheumatism in the blood is a throat infection caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes , which is a group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus, which has not been promptly treated or has not been treated correctly.
The initial condition is an infection in the throat in which the body creates antibodies to fight the bacteria, but then, and it is not known why, these antibodies end up fighting the bacteria and also attacking the healthy joints of the body.
Studies indicate that some people have genetic susceptibility to this disease, that is, some genes present in the body may indicate that one day the person may develop a rheumatic disease and, when the person does not properly treat the infection, this bacterium and its toxins can activate these genes and help trigger rheumatic fever.
How to confirm the diagnosis
There is not a single test that will definitively diagnose rheumatism in the blood and, therefore, the doctor, in addition to assessing the symptoms, may order several tests such as electrocardiogram, echocardiogram and blood tests, such as blood count, ESR and ASLO, for example. Find out what it is for and how the ASLO exam is taken.
How the treatment is done
The main goal of treatment is to eliminate the bacteria that caused the initial infection to relieve symptoms and reduce inflammation in the body. For this, several remedies can be prescribed:
- Antibiotics, such as Benzathine Penicillin: help to eliminate the remaining bacteria; Anti-inflammatories, like Naproxen: relieve inflammation and joint pain and can also relieve fever; Anticonvulsants, such as Carbamazepine or Valproic Acid: reduce the appearance of involuntary movements; Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA): reduces joint inflammation and heart disease; Corticosteroids, like Prednisone: improve cardiac involvement.
In addition, it is important to maintain rest when joint pain is very severe and drink plenty of water to help the immune system function. Better understand how the treatment is done.
