What does rheumatic fever mean?

Definitions for rheumatic fever
rheumat·ic fever

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word rheumatic fever.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. rheumatic fevernoun

    a severe disease chiefly of children and characterized by painful inflammation of the joints and frequently damage to the heart valves

Wiktionary

  1. rheumatic fevernoun

    an inflammation of the joints and the heart following a respiratory infection with streptococcus

Wikipedia

  1. Rheumatic fever

    Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammatory disease that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain. The disease typically develops two to four weeks after a streptococcal throat infection. Signs and symptoms include fever, multiple painful joints, involuntary muscle movements, and occasionally a characteristic non-itchy rash known as erythema marginatum. The heart is involved in about half of the cases. Damage to the heart valves, known as rheumatic heart disease (RHD), usually occurs after repeated attacks but can sometimes occur after one. The damaged valves may result in heart failure, atrial fibrillation and infection of the valves.Rheumatic fever may occur following an infection of the throat by the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes. If the infection is left untreated, rheumatic fever occurs in up to three percent of people. The underlying mechanism is believed to involve the production of antibodies against a person's own tissues. Due to their genetics, some people are more likely to get the disease when exposed to the bacteria than others. Other risk factors include malnutrition and poverty. Diagnosis of RF is often based on the presence of signs and symptoms in combination with evidence of a recent streptococcal infection.Treating people who have strep throat with antibiotics, such as penicillin, decreases the risk of developing rheumatic fever. In order to avoid antibiotic misuse this often involves testing people with sore throats for the infection; however, testing might not be available in the developing world. Other preventive measures include improved sanitation. In those with rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, prolonged periods of antibiotics are sometimes recommended. Gradual return to normal activities may occur following an attack. Once RHD develops, treatment is more difficult. Occasionally valve replacement surgery or valve repair is required. Otherwise complications are treated as usual.Rheumatic fever occurs in about 325,000 children each year and about 33.4 million people currently have rheumatic heart disease. Those who develop RF are most often between the ages of 5 and 14, with 20% of first-time attacks occurring in adults. The disease is most common in the developing world and among indigenous peoples in the developed world. In 2015 it resulted in 319,400 deaths down from 374,000 deaths in 1990. Most deaths occur in the developing world where as many as 12.5% of people affected may die each year. Descriptions of the condition are believed to date back to at least the 5th century BCE in the writings of Hippocrates. The disease is so named because its symptoms are similar to those of some rheumatic disorders.

ChatGPT

  1. rheumatic fever

    Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that can develop as a complication of untreated or inadequately treated strep throat or scarlet fever, both caused by group A streptococcus bacteria. Rheumatic fever can cause severe and permanent damage to the heart, including heart valve damage. Symptoms can include fever, joint pain or swelling, skin rashes, and uncontrolled body movements. It is most common in children between the ages of 5 and 15.

Wikidata

  1. Rheumatic fever

    Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that occurs following a Streptococcus pyogenes infection, such as streptococcal pharyngitis or scarlet fever. Believed to be caused by antibody cross-reactivity that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain, the illness typically develops two to three weeks after a streptococcal infection. Acute rheumatic fever commonly appears in children between the ages of 6 and 15, with only 20% of first-time attacks occurring in adults. The illness is so named because of its similarity in presentation to rheumatism.

U.S. National Library of Medicine

  1. Rheumatic Fever

    A febrile disease occurring as a delayed sequela of infections with STREPTOCOCCUS PYOGENES. It is characterized by multiple focal inflammatory lesions of the connective tissue structures, such as the heart, blood vessels, and joints (POLYARTHRITIS) and brain, and by the presence of ASCHOFF BODIES in the myocardium and skin.

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of rheumatic fever in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of rheumatic fever in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1


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"rheumatic fever." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/rheumatic+fever>.

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