Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that causes changes and injuries in the joints, heart, skin and even the brain. The symptoms of this disease usually appear about 3 weeks after an episode of throat infection caused by group A Streptococcus pyogenes .
Thus, the main symptoms of rheumatic fever are:
- High fever; Arthritis, which causes pain and inflammation in the joints in an asymmetrical and migratory way, and, therefore, it is common for the individual to experience pain in the knee, which then passes to the elbow, for example; Small painless lumps under the skin that appear on the hands, feet or elbows; involuntary and uncoordinated movements of the arms and legs; there may be cardiac involvement causing tiredness and increased heart rate.
Although it also appears in adults, rheumatic fever is more common in children aged 5 to 15 years, and the diagnosis is made by clinical history, physical examination and the help of some tests such as ESR and CRP, which demonstrate inflammation, and the detection of antibodies to bacteria, blood or throat secretions.
Treatment for rheumatic fever
Treatment for rheumatic fever can be done by taking:
- Penicillin to eliminate bacteria; Anti-inflammatories or acetylsalicylic acid to treat polyarthritis; Corticosteroids to treat cardiac involvement; Medicines to treat nervous system involvement, such as haloperidol, for example.
Initially, the treatment can last 4 to 6 weeks, but the treatment time for rheumatic fever can vary from one person to another, depending on the intensity of the symptoms and the organs that were affected.
