Does rheumatic fever cause night sweats?

Written by Liu Li Ning
Rheumatology
Updated on February 03, 2025
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Rheumatic fever can cause night sweats, but this symptom is not specific, as many patients with tuberculosis also experience night sweats. Rheumatic fever is a systemic inflammatory disease caused by Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection. Clinically, it commonly presents with symptoms like fever, joint pain, erythema marginatum, subcutaneous nodules, chorea, and carditis. During the acute phase of rheumatic fever, if there is joint pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be used for treatment. If there is carditis, corticosteroids may be administered. For patients with rheumatic fever, long-term treatment with penicillin is also recommended, typically suggested for three to five years to control the disease.

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Written by Yang Ya Meng
Rheumatology
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Can people with rheumatic fever eat fish?

Patients with rheumatic fever can eat freshwater fish, but should try to eat less fish without scales and sea fish. For patients with rheumatic fever, the general dietary rule is to eat a light diet and reduce consumption of spicy, warming, oily, and rich foods. Foods such as celery, coriander, leeks, seaweed, mushrooms, beef, mutton, dog meat, and longan should be minimized. Seafood, such as shrimp and crab, which are high in protein, should also be consumed less. In addition to dietary considerations, patients with rheumatic fever should also avoid getting cold and pay attention to rest.

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Written by Liu Li Ning
Rheumatology
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How to test for rheumatic fever?

Rheumatic fever is a systemic connective tissue disorder occurring one to four weeks after an infection by Group A Streptococcus, primarily affecting the heart and joints, and commonly infects children and adolescents. The usual clinical manifestations include carditis, polyarthritis, chorea, erythema marginatum, subcutaneous nodules, joint pain, and fever. Common laboratory tests for this disease include: 1. Complete blood count, often showing mild anemia and a slight increase in white blood cell count. 2. Elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. 3. Elevated C-reactive protein. 4. Antistreptolysin-O antibodies often greater than 500 units. 5. Positive throat swab culture. 6. Echocardiogram, which may show vegetations.

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Written by Yang Ya Meng
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How long will it take for rheumatic fever rash to heal?

Rheumatic fever rash generally improves after seven to ten days of treatment, but this is contingent upon completing a full course of antibiotics. This is because the rash is induced by a streptococcal infection. Therefore, to control the infection by streptococcus, the rash will begin to improve. Moreover, if the rash does not subside over time, it may also be considered to strengthen anti-inflammatory treatment with glucocorticoids and anti-allergy treatments to reduce the rash. Additionally, medications like loratadine dispersible tablets and compound glycyrrhizin can be added to help reduce the occurrence of rheumatic fever rash and accelerate its resolution.

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Written by Yang Ya Meng
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What foods should not be eaten with rheumatic fever?

Patients with rheumatoid fever should avoid the following three major categories of foods: The first category is vegetables, such as celery, coriander, leeks, seaweed, and mushrooms, which should be consumed in moderation. The second category includes meats like lamb, beef, and dog meat, which are very warming and nourishing and should be reduced in consumption. The third category includes seafood such as shrimp, crab, and sea cucumber, which are high in protein and should also be avoided. For patients with rheumatism, the general dietary principle is to follow a light diet, avoid spicy and dry-heat foods, and reduce greasy foods. For patients with rheumatic fever, it is particularly important during the acute phase to rest and avoid catching colds and infections.

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Written by Liu Li Ning
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Can you drink alcohol with rheumatic fever?

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.