Rheumatic fever (patient information)

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What is rheumatic fever?

How do I know if I have rheumatic fever and what are the symptoms of rheumatic fever?

Fever
Joint problems, which mainly affect in the knees, elbows, ankles, and wrists, appear joint swelling, joint pain. Pain in one joint that migrates to another joint.
Skin nodules, skin rash (erythema marginatum) on the trunk and upper part of the arms or legs
Epistaxis
Cardiac problems, which may not have symptoms, or may result in shortness of breath , chest pain, palpitations and fatigue.
Sydenham chorea: It is uncontrollable body movements, most often in the hands, feet and face; less often in the arms and legs.
Emotion changes, such as crying or inappropriate laughing.

Who is at risk for rheumatic fever?

Studies suggest that rheumatic fever is a delayed, autoimmune reaction to the streptococcus bacteria.

How to know you have rheumatic fever?

Medical history and physical examination: The doctor may suspect rheumatic fever when he/she finds fever, polyarthritis and subcutaneous nodules.
Blood tests: These tests can assist in making a diagnosis of rheumatic fever.

Antistreptolysin O (ASO) titer: It can be used to detect prior infection by group A Streptococcus by measuring antibodies against streptolysin O.
Complete blood count
Sedimentation rate (ESR): This test can measure how much inflammation is in the body. Patients with rheumatic fever may show an increased ESR.

Electrocardiogram: This test detects and records the electrical activity of the heart. An EKG also can show if you have arrhythmias.
Echocardiography: An echocardiogram uses sound waves to produce images of the heart. It may enable the doctor to detect structure and function of the heart. An echocardiogram can reveal damaged valves in the later peroid of the disease.