How to Live With Rheumatic Fever

Rheumatic fever can wreak havoc on the human body. Although it is well known for the disease’s damage to the heart, the truth is that it can take a toll on other areas of the body as well. Rheumatic fever is a disease that causes inflammation in many areas including the heart, brain, blood vessels, skin and joints. As a rule, the disease is the result of a certain type of streptococcus infection like the one found in scarlet fever and strep throat. It most often occurs among children between the ages of 5 and 16. It is important to to understand the disease and how to live with it.

Things You'll Need

• List of symptoms to watch for
• Specific diagnosis of rheumatic fever

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Instructions

• 1

  Make certain of a correct diagnosis. Rheumatic fever is a complicated disease that can be difficult to diagnose, especially since not all physicians are in agreement about the condition. Many of the symptoms, which are covered in the step below, can also be attributed to a number of other conditions and diseases. For that reason, it is probably a good idea to get a second, third, or even fourth opinion before accepting the diagnosis.Because of the differences of opinion regarding rheumatic fever, it can be difficult to positively diagnose the condition. Several tests will need to be run. These will include blood work and an EKG (electrocardiogram). They may also include additional tests on the heart as well as various types of cultures.

• 2

  Recognize the symptoms, which include chest pain, irregular heart beat, fatigue, fever, headache, stomach pain, joint pain and/or inflammation, skin nodules, tender lymph nodes, muscular problems, rash, and even weight loss.

• 3

  Obtain proper treatment for the disease. Left unchecked, rheumatic fever can be dangerous. Treatment should have three primary objectives. The first is to eliminate any remaining infection. The second is to reduce inflammation in the heart and joints. The third is to eliminate physical activities that might put too much stress on already damaged parts of the body.Antibiotics like penicillin will be prescribed to help kill remaining infection. They may be prescribed over a lengthy period of time. Anti-inflammatory medications may be prescribed to help deal with inflammations in the skin, joints, or heart. These will help to reduce the swelling and pain that results from the inflammation. Finally, bed rest will be required for anywhere from 3 to 15 weeks to allow the body to properly heal.

• 4

  Identify possible complications of the disease. The onset of rheumatic fever may result in long-term heart disease. Damage to the heart valve and reoccurring endocarditis may occur. Care must be taken to avoid additional infections and antibiotics will often be required before certain types of medical procedures. Additionally, because of the stress the disease causes on the body, it is possible that certain restrictions may be levied by the physician.

• 5

  Recognize that the disease can happen again. Although some physicians suggest that rheumatic fever occurs only once, most disagree. Most recurrences will happen within the first five years. After that, chances of recurrence decrease significantly.

• 6

  Take all medications prescribed and follow all physician orders. Doing anything less than that will very likely result in serious damage to the heart and/or other areas of the body.

• 7

  Report reoccurrence of symptoms or any new symptoms to a physician immediately.

• 8

  Go to an Emergency Room immediately if any symptoms of heart attack occur.