The most effective way to make sure your child doesn't develop rheumatic fever is to start treating their strep throat infection within several days and to treat it ...RheumaticFeverMedicallyreviewedbyKarenGill,M.D.—WrittenbyShannonJohnson—UpdatedonSeptember29,2018CausesSymptomsDiagnosisTreatmentsRiskfactorsPreventionComplicationsOutlookWhatisrheumaticfever?Rheumaticfeverisoneofthecomplicationsassociatedwithstrepthroat.It’sarelativelyseriousillnessthatusuallyappearsinchildrenbetweentheagesof5and15.However,olderchildrenandadultshavebeenknowntocontracttheillnessaswell.It’sstillcommoninplacessuchassub-SaharanAfrica,southcentralAsia,andamongcertainpopulationsinAustraliaandNewZealand.It’srareintheUnitedStates.Whatcausesrheumaticfever?RheumaticfeveriscausedbyabacteriumcalledgroupAStreptococcus.Thisbacteriumcausesstrepthroator,inasmallpercentageofpeople,scarletfever.It’saninflammatorydisorder.Rheumaticfevercausesthebodytoattackitsowntissues.Thisreactioncauseswidespreadinflammationthroughoutthebody,whichisthebasisforallsymptomsofrheumaticfever.Whatarethesymptomsofrheumaticfever?ShareonPinterestRheumaticfeveriscausedbyareactiontothebacteriumthatcausesstrepthroat.Althoughnotallcasesofstrepthroatresultinrheumaticfever,thisseriouscomplicationmaybepreventedwithadoctor’sdiagnosisandtreatmentofstrepthroat.Ifyouroryourchildhaveasorethroatalongwithanyofthefollowingsymptoms,seeyourdoctorforanevaluation:tenderandswollenlymphnodesredrashdifficultyswallowingthick,bloodydischargefromnosetemperatureof101°F(38.3°C)orabovetonsilsthatareredandswollentonsilswithwhitepatchesorpussmall,redspotsontheroofofthemouthheadachenauseavomitingAwidevarietyofsymptomsareassociatedwithrheumaticfever.Apersonwiththeillnesscouldexperienceafew,some,ormostofthefollowingsymptoms.Symptomsusuallyappeartwotofourweeksafteryourchildhasastrepinfection.Commonsymptomsofrheumaticfeverinclude:small,painlessnodulesundertheskinchestpainrapidflutteringorpoundingchestpalpitationslethargyorfatiguenosebleedsstomachpainpainfulors