Overview
Rheumatic fever is a rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of your child’s tissues and organs. Healthcare providers also call it acute rheumatic fever. The condition occurs when your child’s immune system overreacts to an untreated strep throat or scarlet fever infection.
Strep throat and scarlet fever are both bacterial infections caused by group A Streptococcus. If your child doesn’t receive treatment for these infections, their immune system may attack its own tissues. This can cause swelling and inflammation that may affect your child’s joints, heart and blood vessels.
Scarlet fever vs. rheumatic fever
Scarlet fever and strep throat are group A Streptococcus infections. A type of bacteria called group A Streptococcus causes both infections. Healthcare providers treat them with antibiotics.
Rheumatic fever is a very rare complication of scarlet fever and strep throat. It can happen when one of these infections goes untreated.
How common is rheumatic fever?
While strep infections are common in the United States, rheumatic fever isn’t. Because antibiotics are widely available in the U.S., most people get treatment for strep throat and scarlet fever. Clearing up these conditions prevents rheumatic fever.
Rheumatic fever happens more often in places with limited resources, such as resource-poor countries. But it can occur in the U.S., especially in areas with limited access to medical care.
Symptoms
When to see a doctor
Complications
- High blood pressure.
- Diabetes.
- Heart failure.
- Some types of heart valve disease.
Prevention
- Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
- Don't smoke or use tobacco.
- Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
- Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
- Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Reduce and manage stress.
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