Illness called rheumatic heart disease or acute rheumatic fever; It is a febrile disease that often affects the heart and joints, causing permanent damage to the heart and leading to results that may lead to surgery.
What are the Symptoms of Acute Rheumatic Fever?
- Fever
- Pain, swelling, redness and warmth of a traveling nature in the joints
- Findings such as inflammation in the heart, damage to the heart valves, heart failure, related weakness, fatigue, palpitations
- Arm Involuntary movements such as various tics on the face, legs and face
- Itchy rashes on the skin, such as a wave-wave map
Bacteria that grow in the throat called Beta hemolytic streptococcus and cause angina can cause rheumatic fever. However, not everyone who grows this bacteria in their throat will get rheumatic fever. 1-2% of patients with angina develop rheumatic fever. Some structural features that can change from person to person also play a role in the development of the disease.
Some people may be carriers without being sick and have streptococcus in their throats. This type of patients are called porters and if there are no signs of inflammation, no treatment is required.
Rheumatic fever is not contagious. But bacteria called streptococci, which cause rheumatic fever and inflame the throat, are contagious. Although there is no conclusive evidence about genetic transmission (heredity), it can be seen more frequently in some families.
How to Diagnose Acute Rheumatic Fever?
Children between the ages of 5-15 mostly get this disease. It is very rare outside of these ages. Since it is more likely to be seen again in children who have had rheumatism before, they can be caught again over the age of 15. For this reason, it is essential for a person who has had rheumatism to be protected with depot penicillin.
The growth of streptococcus in the throat does not mean rheumatism. Only some of the patients (approximately 3-5%) who are prone to rheumatism, whose throat inflammation is not treated well, have rheumatism. An elevated ASO only indicates a streptococcal infection in the past few months. If symptoms of rheumatism useful if any. A high ASO alone does not mean anything without other symptoms. However, unfortunately, many patients can be diagnosed with rheumatism and given unnecessary treatments just because of high ASO level, regardless of other symptoms and valuable laboratory findings.
Most Frequently Asked Questions
1) Pain in every leg in children Is it caused by rheumatic fever?
Leg pain is common especially in children who play sports or are very active when they come home in the evening. Pain, especially in the calf or behind the knee, that goes away with rest or massage is harmless.
If there is pain at night with fever and it still hasn't passed in the morning, if there is difficulty in moving, if there is any of the symptoms such as swelling, redness and warmth in the joint, rheumatism should be considered.
2) Does rheumatic fever necessarily cause valvular rheumatism? No, rheumatic fever can not only affect the joints, but also the heart. Even if it only affects the joints for the first time, it can also affect the heart if it recurs. Can it be caught? Yes, the probability of having this disease again is quite high. In fact, the chance of being caught again is much higher than those who have never been caught. Because each recurrence of rheumatism causes more and more damage to the valves of the heart, and it may even be necessary to replace the valves with surgery.
This is both an expensive and serious operation. Even the best artificial cover will never work as well as one's own. After the valve replacement, it is necessary to use medication continuously to protect the valve from microbes and to prevent clot formation on the valve. Therefore, the best; early diagnosis, good treatment and prevention of recurrences.
4) How can the recurrence of rheumatic fever be prevented? Depot penicillin injections should be administered regularly every 3 weeks.
If there are signs of throat inflammation such as fever, sore throat, swallowing should be taken to the pediatrician and the inflammation should be treated. If there are signs of recurrence of rheumatism, a doctor should be consulted immediately.
Do The controls that must be carried out should never be interrupted. The aim of the controls is to detect changes early and take precautions.
In a few weeks following fever and sore throat, symptoms such as pain, swelling, redness, headache, nausea, vomiting, weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath and palpitations may be seen in the joints. When one or more of these are seen, the possibility of recurrence of rheumatism should be investigated.
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