Rheumatic Fever in Children: Symptoms and treatment

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Rheumatic Fever in Children
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Rheumatic Fever in Children

• Rheumatic fever  is a medical condition that
  can be brought on after a strep throat infection
  or after the body has been affected by a scarlet
  fever. This condition is caused by the
  streptococcus bacteria and leads to a cluster of
  symptoms that are unlike the ones that a regular
  fever leads to. This fever can be seen to affect
  the skin, the brain, joints, the heart, and the
  blood vessels as well. The bacteria make way into
  the body and then settle. If the original
  condition is not treated, it can then lead to the
  emergence of this type of fever.

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Symptoms

• Along with a study of the causes of this
  condition, one must also understand the symptoms
  of the same. When the bacteria enters the body
  through infections, and is left untreated, it
  settles in and then makes way as this complex
  condition that affects the human body and mind at
  varied levels. When it comes to children, the
  risks can get to be even more because they have a
  weaker immune system than adults. Here are some
  of the symptoms of rheumatic fever that can be
  studied. There can be swelling, pain, redness,
  and extreme tenderness in the child's joints. It
  might affect the knees, ankles, elbow, and
  wrists. The joints can also get filled with
  liquid and increase the pain further. This
  affects their regular movements and thereby leads
  to a whole lot of pain. The joints can get
  affected one after the other making the healing a
  long-drawn process.
• There can be a fever of varying degrees.

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Symptoms
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• Weight loss will start to make way as well.
• The child will complain of being fatigued and
  experiencing lack of energy which will affect all
  his/her regular functions.
• There will be deterioration in the child's
  neuro-muscular movements. This can be observed in
  the jerky movements that they exhibit in all
  functions (look for a change in handwriting).
• A skin rash that is reddish to pinkish in colour
  will come about. This rash might be very abrasive
  to touch. It mostly comes over on the legs and
  hands.
• There might also be the emergence of small bumps
  under the skin. These can be very painful.
• The heartbeats can become extremely fast which is
  a sign of the heart turning weak. This is usually
  a sign of acute rheumatic fever in children.
• Nausea, cough, vomiting, and dizziness are also
  seen as one of the most common signs of this
  fever.

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Treatments

• The treatment for rheumatic fever is undertaken
  with 3 objectives in mind. First, to treat the
  inflammation that has been caused. Second, to get
  rid of the bacteria. And third, to ensure that it
  does not make a comeback. This can be undertaken
  in the following ways. Antibiotics will be
  administered to get rid of the inflammation that
  is brought on by the fever. The course is
  continued for a long period of time-maybe even
  years-so that the infection does not make a
  comeback.
• Penicillin is also given for the same reasons-so
  that in case the streptococcal bacteria are still
  in the body, it can be destroyed.
• Rest is important. It will ensure that a person
  does not undertake any stressful actions or come
  in contact with the bacteria. This measure is
  usually taken when the heart condition of the
  child is severely weakened.

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Treatments
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• It is important to not delegate a strep
  throat or a scarlet fever as something
  unimportant, and ensure that the child is treated
  for the same at the earliest. Other than that,
  the emergence of any of these signs should be
  gotten checked immediately enough and the
  treatment for the same started out as well.

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