Causes of Rheumatic Fever
Rheumatic fever is common worldwide and is responsible for many cases of damaged heart valves. When a common strain of bacteria known as "Strep," or "Streptococcus pyogenes", presented in the throat and nose for months without causing any harm becomes active, they produce an infection. The initial infection is sore throat and then inflammation and swelling of joints.

Usually within 1 to 5 weeks of throat infection, the disease develops. This illness can affect the normal lifestyle of the patient. The complication of the disease can be very grave.

Signs & Symptoms of Rheumatic Fever
Rheumatic fever symptoms start with redness and pain in the throat. Manifestation of the complaints varies from patient to patient. Usually, acute symptoms go off within 4-6 weeks. The common accompanying complaints are muscle pain, malaise, abdomen pain, vomiting, chest pain, nose bleed, restlessness, difficulty in breathing, pneumonia, difficulty in speaking or writing, tremors, etc.

• Abdominal distress / pain
• Chest pain
• Confusion
• Cough
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Joint pain and swelling, redness or warmth
• Lumps under the skin
• Nosebleed
• Rashes
• Shortness of breath
• Skin eruption & nodules
• Speech disabilities
•  Vomiting
• Weakness