What are the signs and symptoms of Rheumatic fever?
The typical form (following a Strep Throat) presents itself as fever, swelling of the joints, heart, skin and the nervous system. The joint pains travel from one joint to the other. Most of the time, this may be confused with influenza, and only a trained physician could recognize and diagnose it after a thorough medical history and physical examination. Does Strep infection always cause Rheumatic Fever? No, only about 3% (three out of 100 patients) of those with acute Strep Pharyngitis that have NOT been treated at all lead to the complication of Rheumatic Fever. Strep throat could lead to Rheumatic fever, but Streptococcus infection of the skin or other organs outside of the throat will not cause Rheumatic fever. Three percent may not sound high, but this incidence is way too high for medical and health comfort. How does Rheumatic Fever cause valve diseases? With the generalized inflammation that takes place in those organs mentioned above, especially the heart, the inflammed valves
