Rheumatic fever is a complication of a
streptococcal infection. It typically develops following strep throat,
tonsillitis, scarlet fever, or ear
infection. It most often affects children aged three to eighteen.
It may affect one or several parts of the body, among them the heart,
brain, and joints. If the heart is affected, permanent damage to one or
more heart valves may result. The first signs of rheumatic fever are
typically pain, inflammation, and stiffness in a large joint such as the
knee, accompanied by fever. The pain and swelling can travel from one
joint to another. There may be an accompanying skin rash. After one
occurrence, the disease tends to recur. The symptoms can vary greatly
and many times the damage to heart valves isn't immediately noticeable.
A damaged heart valve either doesn't fully close or doesn't fully open.
Eventually, damaged heart valves can cause serious, even disabling,
problems.
Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory type of disease. It can affect most of
the body's connective tissues especially those tissues of the
brain , heart, joints, and skin. Anybody may get acute rheumatic fever, but it
normally affects children between ages of five to fifteen years old. The rheumatic
heart disease that results can last for their entire life.
For people who have already suffered a rheumatic fever attack are
extremely susceptible to a recurrence if they are again infected with
group A streptococci. Those people who have experienced a documented acute
rheumatic fever attack should use nutritional and dietary changes to
prevent streptococcal infections at least until reaching adulthood or
at least 5 years after their most recent attack. Patients whose acute
rheumatic fever attack has left them with damaged heart tissue may
need lifelong antibiotic prophylaxis or alternative herbal and
nutritional supplementation. Invasive dental or surgical
procedures may require additional antibiotic prophylaxis for patients
with rheumatic valvular heart disease. See other suggestions in the
sections below that may also help.
Nutrient /
Supplement |
Importance
( 1 - 10 ) |
Helpful notes |
Multi-vitamin
& Mineral supplement |
10 |
should
contain B vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin
C, vitamin E, zinc, vitamin D, acidophilus, magnesium, and calcium to aid in treatment and prevention of infections and
other related health problems. The nutrients in a daily
supplement are required for general good health and well
being. |
Omega
fatty acids |
9 |
help
with pain and inflammation and speed recovery time. The essential
fatty acids are found in fish oil, flax seed, and borage seed. |
Acidophilus |
9 |
friendly bacteria
needed for good bowel and colon health. Maybe combined with
Lactobacillus rhanosus, Bifidobacterium longum, and
Lactobacillus plantarum in a combination such as BotanaCleanse. |
Garlic |
9 |
this herb has
anti-fungal properties useful for all kinds of infections and
their effects |
Carnitine |
9 |
Protects
the heart |
Methionine |
9 |
important
free radical fighter |
vitamin
C |
10 |
strengthens
the body's immune system |
vitamin
A |
9 |
good
antioxidant |
Carotenoids |
9 |
work with vitamins A
and E for healing of infections |
vitamin
E |
9 |
works with other herbs
and vitamins A & C to promote healing in the body |
Dandelion |
9 |
herb that helps
prevent infections and has a long history in using for
Rheumatic fever. |
B
vitamin complex |
9 |
for healing and
improved immune function |
Pyridoxine |
9 |
helps
with antibody product and immune function |
Echinacea |
8 |
herb
used to fight infection |
Golden
Seal |
8 |
herb
helpful to the immune system |
Zinc |
8 |
for the immune system and
is also required for the proper utilization of vitamin A in
the human body. |
Magnesium |
8 |
this
mineral has a calming effect on the body. It often is combined
with calcium and B vitamins to relieve stress. |
Calcium |
8 |
this
mineral works
with magnesium |
Other Changes To Make
-
drink 6-8 glasses of steam distilled or
filtered water a day
-
eat 50% raw fruits and vegetables (organic is best)
-
nuts, seeds, and whole grains are good
-
juice is good (make your
own with a juice machine)
-
do not worry as much about calories as eating the right foods
-
carrot and celery sticks are good to use as a snack
-
a colon cleansing can be very helpful - (do several times each year)
-
do not drink coffee, alcohol, soda pop, other junk food drinks
-
do not eat processed foods white sugar, white flour, etc...
-
use stress relief like going for walks in the park
(or the 10/90 rule - see
Stress)
-
brown rice is good to eat
-
avoid red meat and animal fats
-
reduce dairy products cheese, milk, and others
-
fast a few days a month
-
get at least 8 hours of sleep
-
exercise light to moderate amounts
-
avoid artificial sweeteners like Aspartame and NutraSweet
-
do not smoke and avoid second hand smoke
-
do not skip meals - just eat better and not as much at each meal
-
do not chew gum - it can cause you to feel hungry
-
do not watch too much TV try reading a book or something else
|