Rheumatic fever is a complicated disease that can develop as a complication of untreated or poorly treated strep throat. Strep throat is caused by infection with group A streptococcus bacteria.  Most commonly, the streptococcus infection is located in the upper respiratory tract such as strep throat or asscarlet fever. Rheumatic fever affects the joints, skin, heart, blood vessels, and brain. Rheumatic fever is most common in 5- to 15-year-old children, though it can develop in younger children and adults.

Rheumatic fever is treated in following ways:

• The best treatment against rheumatic heart disease is to prevent rheumatic fever from ever occurring. Rheumatic fever is usually treated with penicillin. Doctors often prescribe a regular dose of penicillin after the symptoms of rheumatic fever disappear. This program helps prevent the return of Rheumatic fever.
• If person is diagnosed with acute rheumatic fever then he will be treated with antibiotics. If strep infection leads to rheumatic fever, your doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medicines or aspirin to reduce the swelling in your body’s tissues.  Anti-inflammatory medications such as aspirin or corticosteroids reduce inflammation to help manage acute rheumatic fever.
• In some patients, rheumatic fever damages a heart valve. In these cases, your doctor may recommend surgery to repair or replace the damaged valve.

Prevention:

The most important way to prevent rheumatic fever is by getting quick treatment for strep throat and scarlet fever. If antibiotics are given within ten days, the risk of the infection’s developing into rheumatic fever is very low. People who have had rheumatic fever are at risk for contracting the disease again. To prevent the condition from returning, a patient may have to take antibiotics for a long time, perhaps for life.