Acute Rheumatism

Acute rheumatism is another name for rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever is an acute infectious-allergic disease that affects connective tissue, joints, heart and other organs.

The cause of the disease is streptococcus pyogenes. The disease develops 2-3 weeks after a streptococcal infection (for example, tonsillitis or scarlet fever). The patient develops a high temperature, inflammation and joint pain develop, and the lymph nodes become enlarged.

Characteristic signs of acute rheumatism are a tendency to migrate (transition of pain from one joint to another) and the disappearance of symptoms under the influence of taking aspirin. A dangerous complication is heart damage (rheumatic endocarditis, myocarditis, pericarditis).

Treatment includes bed rest, aspirin and antibiotics to combat infection and inflammation. The prognosis depends on the degree of heart damage. After an illness, there remains a threat of relapse, so prevention of streptococcal infections and rheumatic exacerbations is necessary.

Acute rheumatism (Acute Rheumatism; abbr. AR) is a type of acute rheumatic fever (Rheumatic Fever; abbr. RF) - a disease that occurs against the background of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus, which, in turn, most often enters the body through a damaged skin or mucous membranes.

About 65 percent of cases of acute rheumatism occur in children and adolescents aged 3 to 20 years, but more people are contracting the disease as adults. However, acute rheumatism in adults is more severe than in children. About two-thirds of them develop heart failure and later have a heart attack—often unexpectedly. The main signs of acute rheumatism include fever, joint pain, redness and tenderness of soft tissues, pain when swallowing, feeling