Rheumatic Fever
What can be done to prevent the disease?
Effective treatment of strep
infections with antibiotics significantly lowers a person's risk of
developing rheumatic fever. Individuals with these infections should take their
full course of antibiotics, even after symptoms are gone.
What are the long-term effects of the disease?
In 75% of people with rheumatic fever, the acute attack lasts only 6 weeks.
Ninety percent of the cases of rheumatic fever resolve in 12 weeks or less.
Fewer than 5% of people with rheumatic fever have symptoms that last for 6
months or more.
There are many possible complications as a result of rheumatic fever. They can
include the following:
anemia, which is a
low red blood cell count
arrhythmias, or
abnormal heart rhythms
arthritis
bacterial
pericarditis, an inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart
congestive heart
failure, a condition in which the weakened heart is unable to pump
blood effectively throughout the body
endocarditis, which is an inflammation of the lining of the heart
heart valve damage, including
mitral stenosis and mitral
valve prolapse
proteinuria, a condition in which protein is lost in the urine
skin disorders
Sydenham chorea,
a nervous system disorder that causes involuntary, writhing movements
What are the risks to others?
Rheumatic fever itself is not contagious and poses no risk to others. However,
the streptococcal infection can be highly contagious.
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