Rheumatic Fever - Symptoms
In addition to fever, there are five main symptoms of RF. One symptom is arthritis (see arthritis entry). Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints that causes severe pain and swelling. In the case of RF, arthritis produces red, hot, swollen, shiny, and very painful joints of the ankles, knees, elbows, and wrists. The joints may become so sore that even the touch of bed sheets or clothing is too painful to endure.
A second symptom of RF is chorea (pronounced co-REE-uh). Chorea is a disorder of the nervous system. It causes a patient to lose coordination and develop jerky movements of the arms and legs. The patient may also develop emotional problems. He or she may become angry or sad for no reason at all. The chorea that occurs as a result of RF is called Syndenham's chorea. At one time, the condition was known as St. Vitus's Dance.
A third symptom of RF is a rash. The rash consists of pink splotches on the body that are not itchy. The medical term for this rash is erythema marginatum (pronounced air-uh-THEE-muh MAR-gin-ay-tum). Along with the rash there may be small bumps just under the skin. The bumps are hard to the touch but not painful. They occur most commonly over the knee and elbow joints. The bumps constitute the fourth symptom of RF. They are also known as subcutaneous nodules (pronounced sub-CYOO-taynee-us NOD-yools).
- Antibodies:
- Chemicals produced by the body's immune system to fight off very specific foreign invaders, such as bacteria and viruses.
- Arthritis:
- Inflammation of the joints.
- Autoimmune disorder:
- A medical condition in which the body's immune system mistakes the body's own tissues for foreign invaders and attempts to destroy those tissues.
- Carditis:
- Inflammation of the heart.
- Chorea:
- Involuntary movements that may cause the arms or legs to jerk about uncontrollably.
- Immune system:
- A system of organs, tissues, cells, and chemicals that work together to fight off foreign invaders, such as bacteria and viruses.
- Inflammation:
- The body's response to tissue damage that includes heat, swelling, redness, and pain.
The fifth and most serious symptom of rheumatic fever is called carditis (pronounced car-DIE-tis). The term "carditis" means an inflammation of the heart. About 40 percent to 80 percent of all patients with rheumatic fever develop carditis. It is the most serious complication associated with RF.
One common effect of carditis is damage to the heart valves. The heart valves are flaps of tissue that control the flow of blood in the heart. They ensure that blood always flows in the right direction as it passes through the heart.
If heart valves are damaged, one of two things can happen. First, the flow of blood reverses direction. Second, the valves become so stiff that it is difficult for blood to get through them. Either way, the heart has to work unusually hard to keep blood moving properly. In some cases, the heart has to work so hard that it becomes weakened or fails. The patient develops chronic (long-term) heart disease or dies of a heart attack.
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