Can you drink alcohol with rheumatic fever?

Written by Liu Li Ning
Rheumatology
Updated on January 04, 2025
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Rheumatic fever should not involve alcohol consumption. Because drinking could potentially trigger a flare-up of rheumatic fever and worsen the symptoms. Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease caused by Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection. Common clinical manifestations include fever, subcutaneous nodules, erythema marginatum, joint pain or arthritis, chorea, carditis, and so forth. During the acute phase, the main symptoms are fever and joint pain, which can be treated with penicillin antibiotics to combat infection. Joint pain can be relieved with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as etoricoxib. In cases where carditis occurs during the acute phase, combined treatment with corticosteroids is also required. Regarding diet, it is advisable to eat lightly, and both smoking and drinking alcohol should be avoided.

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Written by Yang Ya Meng
Rheumatology
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Can you soak your feet if you have rheumatic fever?

Patients with rheumatic fever can relieve some joint pain by soaking their feet, but this does not fundamentally solve the problem. Rheumatic fever is often caused by streptococcal infection, which leads to diseases such as arthritis. Therefore, antibiotics should be used at the source to eliminate streptococcal infection and hence prevent the recurrence of rheumatism. Additionally, we can use anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs to control joint pain. Commonly used anti-inflammatory analgesics include non-steroidal pain relievers, such as diclofenac sodium sustained-release tablets. If there is inflammation in the heart due to rheumatic fever, corticosteroid treatment should be considered. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Li Jing
Rheumatology
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What are the symptoms of rheumatic fever?

Rheumatic fever is a delayed, non-suppurative sequelae caused by a streptococcus infection. It primarily presents as arthritis, heart valve disease, chorea, subcutaneous nodules, and erythema, and some cases also exhibit fever. It mainly occurs in adolescents and children aged 5 to 14. It is primarily related to symptoms that appear after an upper respiratory tract streptococcus infection. If the individual has good resistance, symptoms may only resemble those of a cold, such as sore throat, runny nose, and fever, and these symptoms can be relieved after anti-infection treatment without any residual sequelae. However, people with weaker resistance may develop these sequelae after an upper respiratory tract infection, including joint pain and heart valve disease. Therefore, it is crucial to receive proper treatment during the acute phase to prevent any lasting sequelae.

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Written by Liu Li Ning
Rheumatology
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Rheumatic fever anti-O titer generally how much?

Rheumatic fever anti-streptolysin O is generally above the upper limit of the normal range. Since each hospital uses different testing methods, there are differences. You need to determine based on the reference range of your local hospital laboratory what is normal and what exceeds the normal range. Anti-streptolysin O, also known as anti-O, is typically abnormal in cases of rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever is a systemic inflammatory disease caused by an infection with Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus. Clinically, it is primarily characterized by fever, erythema marginatum, joint pain, subcutaneous nodules, and it can also include carditis. Some patients may exhibit symptoms of chorea.

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Written by Yang Ya Meng
Rheumatology
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What should be paid attention to in the diet for rheumatic fever?

For patients with rheumatism, the general dietary rule is to follow a light diet, reduce spicy and greasy foods, and avoid foods that are too warm and dry. Specifically, vegetables like celery, coriander, leeks, seaweed, and shiitake mushrooms should be reduced in consumption because they may cause photosensitivity and worsen rheumatism. At the same time, meats such as lamb, dog meat, and beef are considered too warming and nourishing, and may also trigger the worsening of rheumatism, so their consumption should also be minimized. Similarly, seafood like shrimp, crab, and sea cucumber, which are high in protein, might cause allergic reactions in patients with rheumatism, so their intake should be minimized as well.

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Written by Yang Ya Meng
Rheumatology
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Treatment of rheumatic fever with aspirin

Patients with rheumatic fever use aspirin primarily for its anti-inflammatory effects to reduce the inflammatory response. Aspirin also has analgesic properties that can be used to treat symptoms like joint pain associated with rheumatic fever. However, it is crucial to monitor patients taking aspirin for any gastrointestinal reactions, such as stomach pain or black stools. During the use of aspirin, it's important to be vigilant about these gastrointestinal symptoms. Additionally, medications that protect the stomach, such as pantoprazole which reduces stomach acid, can be used to prevent the side effects of aspirin. (Use medication under the guidance of a doctor.)