Rheumatic Fever: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

Rheumatic fever is a serious condition that develops due to some throat infection and is caused by Streptococcus pyogenes. Rheumatic fever is one of the primary causes of rheumatic heart disease. Children and young people can suffer from irresistible valve damage, carditis and even heart failure if they are suffering from this disease. The streptococcus pyogenes is a species of Gram-positive bacteria that can have an especially harmful effect on children. This bacteria cause our body to attack its own self and this causes widespread inflammation. All other symptoms that a person experiences as a result of this condition are primarily due to the inflammation. This is, thus, an inflammatory disorder that can cause a person to suffer from scarlet fever and throat infection.

The treatment involves the healing of the Streptococcus pyogenes with the help of antibiotics. Antibiotics help to lower the risk of further infection from the Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria. The medication thus prevents damage to the heart valves and thus helps to control and prevent rheumatic fever. Thus, this also reduces the chances of a person developing rheumatic heart disease. Heart valve surgery to replace the damaged valves can be avoided by using secondary prophylaxis antibiotics.

The presence of Group A Streptococcus (GAS) infections in the pharynx is the most important cause of rheumatic fever. Thus, the treatment for this condition requires the treatment for GAS pharyngitis. Intramuscular penicillin G benzathine, oral penicillin V potassium and oral amoxicillin are the anti-microbial agents that are generally used. However, people with recurrent rheumatic fever and corresponding rheumatic heart disease should go for prophylaxis.

People who have a history of suffering from rheumatic fever and who have or who are developing symptoms of rheumatic heart disease need to undergo continuous prophylaxis. It is of utmost importance to begin the treatment as soon as a person is diagnosed with acute rheumatic heart disease or rheumatic fever. A doctor will determine the treatment and how to administer drugs to a patient based on the medical condition of the patient and how he/she reacts to the treatment. Factors like patient’s age, date of the last attack and how severe is the rheumatic heart disease are some on which the duration of secondary prophylaxis depends.

Research has shown that when a patient suffering from this condition will find substantial improvement in his/her condition when he/she is administered with 1,20,000 units of benzyl-benzathine penicillin every three weeks. This intramuscular injection of repository penicillin is the most effective treatment for this illness. A person who will administer this drug into a patient’s body needs to be well-trained in the technique of giving injections as this drug needs to be administered deep into the muscles. A person who is not well-trained in administering injections may inject the drug in the subcutaneous tissue and this result in lower serum levels and also cause decreased absorption. Those people who cannot be given repeated or regular injections of benzathine benzylpenicillin are normally given Oral phenoxymethyl penicillin.

Streptococcus bacteria mostly affect children. A doctor will look for some symptoms before diagnosing a child to be suffering from rheumatic fever. Some of the symptoms include rashes, bloody and thick discharge from the nose, a body temperature of 101 degrees Fahrenheit or more, lymph nodes that are swollen and tender and difficulty in swallowing. Other symptoms may include headache, vomiting, swollen tonsils, small and red spots on the roof of the mouth and nausea.

A person who is not suffering from the infection caused by the A Streptococcus bacteria is not eligible for treatment. A person who has not suffered from any of the symptoms associated with rheumatic fever is usually not eligible for treatment. People allergic to penicillin are usually provided with alternative treatments. A person’s medical history and compatibility with the medications are also determining factors in deciding whether a person is eligible or not.

The diagnosis of Rheumatic Fever is done on the basis of symptoms of the disease and the medical history such as involvement of strep throat. Starting with the physical examination, the presence of any skin rashes or nodules will be checked along with any heart abnormalities or nervous system dysfunction. It is followed by joints and throat examination which in turn is followed by ECG and echocardiogram.

Rheumatic Fever is an autoimmune disorder caused due to streptococcus infection and has more chances of recurrence, resulting in long-term treatment with antibiotics. Since there is no vaccine developed yet in order to prevent the disease, the chance of occurrence of the disease remains high. The vaccine needs to be invented as a streptococcus vaccine that can do the prevention of infections related to streptococcus bacteria.

Rheumatic Fever is an autoimmune disease, caused by the overreaction of a body due to an incomplete antibiotic course in order to treat the scarlet fever infection. It is characterized by the self-attacking of the immune system of the body in order to destroy its own healthy cells, which leads to conditions such as inflammation of joints as well as the heart.

Rheumatic Fever treatment basically includes the cure of the various symptoms developed due to it as well as the prevention of recurrence of the disease. There is always a chance of recurrence in this condition. The treatment involves the application of long-term antibiotics such as penicillin. The course of duration maybe five to ten years. The antibiotic may need to be taken for a longer duration to prevent a recurrence.

The usual side-effects of using repository penicillin for the treatment of rheumatic fever are nausea, vomiting and pain at the site of the injection. Pregnant women should take special care and always consult a doctor before consuming the repository penicillin drug. This is because the drug passes on to breast milk and thus can be detrimental for a newborn child. Further complications may arise if the drug that is administered interacts other antibiotics that a person is on.

Mostly children are affected with rheumatic fever. Even after a person has undergone treatment, he/she needs to be hygienic so as to ensure that the bacteria does not infect that person again. A person should cover his/her mouth while coughing or sneezing, wash his/her hands properly, avoid contact with sick people and also to avoid sharing personal items with people who are sick.A person who has been affected by a chronic form of rheumatic fever may need to take penicillin or an equivalent antibiotic for a few years. He or she would also be better off by avoiding carbonated and caffeinated drinks, alcohol and spicy foods.

The duration of rheumatic fever generally depends on how severely the heart has been affected by disease. However, this ailment can last for 6 weeks to a few months. It is important to diagnose the condition effectively and administer the relevant drugs in an effective manner. the heart muscles get affected and the heart’s ability to pump blood is jeopardized in case of acute rheumatic fever. As the heart valves get affected, a person will require some time to recover from rheumatic heart disease.

Penicillin injections that are required to be administered to a person suffering from rheumatic fever are not very costly. The duration of the rheumatic fever will determine the total cost of the treatment. The cost of the repository penicillin to treat rheumatic fever costs something around Rs 90000 for 10 syringes. The surgical procedure to treat damaged valves of the heart may cost between Rs 150000 and Rs 350000. The treatment will depend on the severity of the condition and also on the health of the person concerned.

An attack of rheumatic fever usually takes a few weeks or a few months to subside. A child suffering from rheumatic heart disease may never make a full recovery. He/she would have to deal with this condition throughout his/her life. A child may suffer from rheumatic fever more than once. In such a scenario, the child requires to be on antibiotics for a longer period of time to prevent recurrence of this attack.

Rheumatic fever can be treated with a number of natural remedies. Herbal tea prepared from dandelion leaf helps to treat rheumatic fever. Drinking Echinacea tea helps to strengthen the immune system and thus helps to prevent rheumatic fever. A mix of asparagus, fenugreek and black cumin and carom seeds helps to reduce the swelling and speeds up the healing process. In addition, ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and so helps to cure rheumatic fever from roots. Garlic also helps to fight rheumatic fever due to its anti-fungal properties.

Summary: Rheumatic Fever is an autoimmune disease, caused by the overreaction of a body due to an incomplete antibiotic course in order to treat the scarlet fever infection. Rheumatic Fever treatment basically includes the cure of the various symptoms developed due to it as well as the prevention of recurrence of the disease. Antibiotics such as penicillin are preferred with a complete course being 5 to 10 years which depends upon the age of the particular individual.