Rheumatic fever is one of the complications that may occur after infection with uncomplicated bacterial sore throat, and children and teenagers are the most vulnerable to it. This condition causes chronic inflammatory that can affect the heart, joints, skin, and nervous system, and therefore it is necessary to identify its early symptoms to avoid serious complications.
Symptoms of rheumatic fever on the joints
Joint pain is one of the early symptoms of rheumatic fever, where the person suffers from swelling of the joints and a feeling of severe pain when moving, and the pain may be transmitted from one joint to another, and it often affects large joints such as the knees, the ankles, the elbows, and the wrists, in some cases, the affected joint may be warm when touching it with redness of the skin in the affected area.
The effect of rheumatic fever on the heart
Heart inflammation is one of the most dangerous complications that may be caused by rheumatic fever, as it can affect the heart valves causing rheumatic lipstitis, in this case, the patient may suffer from shortness of breath, especially when practicing physical activity, with chest pain and acceleration of the heartbeat, as it may feel constantly overburdened even without any effort, in severe cases, the rheumatic fever may lead to rheumatism to Dangerous complications such as heart failure if they are not treated in time.
Symptoms of rheumatic fever on the nervous system
Rheumatic fever can affect the nervous system causing disorder known as Sidenham dance, which is involuntary movements in the limbs and face, which may lead to difficulty controlling daily movements such as writing or grabbing things, in some cases, the patient suffers from weak concentration and unjustified mood swings.
Skin symptoms associated with rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever causes some skin symptoms, such as the appearance of a pink rash known as marginal pigeons, and it appears in the form of irregular spots on the trunk and ends, and small, painless lumps may form under the skin known as rheumatic nodules, and usually appear near the joints with inflammation.
Other symptoms of rheumatic fever
In addition to the main symptoms, the patient may suffer from a high temperature with night sweating and general feeling of fatigue, as it may face difficulty in focusing with a feeling of frequent headaches. In some cases, infections in the throat appear accompanied by difficulty in swallowing before the appearance of other symptoms, which indicates the primary bacterial infection that may lead to rheumatic fever.
