Skiptocontent RheumaticFeverandRheumaticHeartDiseaseOutpatientAppointments215-590-4040SecondOpinions,ReferralsandInformationAboutOurServices267-426-9600ContactUsOnlineWhatarerheumaticfeverandrheumaticheartdisease?Rheumaticfeverisaninflammatorydisordercausedby aGroupAstrepthroatinfection.Itaffectstheconnectivetissueofthebody, causingtemporary,painfularthritisandothersymptoms.Insomecasesrheumaticfevercauseslong-termdamagetotheheartanditsvalves.Thisiscalledrheumaticheartdisease.CausesofrheumaticfeverRheumaticfeveroccursasaresultofararestrainofstrepthroatthatisn’ttreatedwithantibioticsquicklyenoughoratall.Doctorsaren’tsurewhythisrarestrainofstreptriggersthisinflammatorydisorder.It’sprobablybecauseantibodies(specialproteinsinthebloodthatattackstrep)mistakenlyalsoattackhealthycells,suchastheheartmuscleandvalvecells,aswellasjoint,brainandskintissue,causingareactionthatresultsininflammation.Strepthroatismostcommoninschool-agedchildren,andsoisrheumaticfever.RheumaticfeverwasaleadingcauseofdisabilityanddeathinchildrenintheUnitedStatesbefore1960.Today,rheumaticfeverisnotcommonintheUnitedStates becausemostpeoplehaveaccesstopenicillinandotherantibiotics.However,itdoesstilloccurinthiscountryandremainsaleadingcauseofearlydeathincountrieswithless-developedhealthcaresystems.Thereisalsoa geneticfactorinrheumaticfever.Themembersofsomefamiliesaremuchmorelikelytodevelopit,andresearchersarecurrentlylookingtounderstandwhy.SignsandsymptomsofrheumaticfeverRheumaticfevercancause:Carditis:inflammationoftheheartmuscleandhearttissue.Carditiscancausearapidheartrate,fatigue,shortnessofbreathandexerciseintolerance.Thisisthemostseriousofthesymptomsandmayhavelong-termeffectsonhealth.Carditisoccursinapproximately50percentofthosewhohaverheumaticfeverArthritis:swelling,rednessandpaininthejoints,especiallyknees,ankles,elbowsandwrists.Thisisacommonsymptom andoccursinapproximately70percentofpeoplewhohaverheumaticfeverSplotchyrashthatdoesn’titchSubcutaneousnodules:tiny,hardlumpsundertheskinFeverChorea:invo