| Rheumatic fever- an inflammatory disease that can affect connective tissue (particularly of the heart, joints, skin, and brain) which is thought to be caused by the reaction of the immune system to streptococcal bacteria which causes the immune system to damage organs; the heart is almost always affected, at least temporarily (there can be lasting damage to the valves in cases of untreated streptococcal infection) *symptoms: some or all of the following: arthritis, small bumps on bones, sudden irregular and ucontrollable jerking movements, rash, symptoms of heart inflammation, heart conditions such as pericarditis, heart block, and heart failure may occur, even without heart symptoms **may cause permanent damage to heart valves including abnormalities sauch as aortic stenosis and insufficiency and mitral stenosis and insufficiency *symptoms: breathlessness, palpitations, fainting, chest pain, and sudden death Informative link: WebMD Rheumatic Fever <<back |