Rheumatic Fever

Rheumatic fever

Rheumatic fever is an infection that mainly affects the young – it usually starts with a sore throat, then after a few weeks develops into painful or swollen joints such as knees and elbows, high temperatures and occasionally a skin rash or stomach pain may occur as well.

If not treated this infection may spread to the heart, and may affect the valves that regulate the flow of blood in the heart and around the body, resulting in a condition called rheumatic heart disease.

The early signs of rheumatic fever generally go away, but the heart damage is permanent, resulting in tiredness from poor blood supply to the body and may worsen into further damage to the muscles of the heart and heart failure.

In New Zealand we have a high rate of rheumatic heart disease compared to other countries, and many of our children have poor health as a result of this. This can affect the quality of their life if not treated promptly and effectively.

Early treatment of any sore throat in a child is the best way to prevent a strep or sore throat developing into rheumatic fever. If a child you know has a sore throat ensure that they go to the doctor, get their throat checked out, and ensure that any prescriptions for antibiotics are dispensed at the pharmacy and that the child takes the entire course of antibiotics to ensure that rheumatic fever does not result because the sore throat wasn’t treated.

If someone has had rheumatic fever, then any sign of infection must be treated and often children that have had rheumatic fever need to take antibiotics for several months in order to prevent any or more damage to their heart.

Some people that have had rheumatic fever require regular antibiotic injections – it is vital that these occur regularly whenever they are scheduled, they need to be given on time, every time.

If a child or young person you know has a sore throat, or if you have any questions about rheumatic fever, consult your community pharmacist – they will be able to advise you of the best treatment options and refer you to the correct assistance you may need to prevent the complications of sore throats and prevent the complications of rheumatic fever.

Swallowing difficulties (dysphagia)

Causes of swallowing difficulties

Swallowing difficulties can happen at any age. There are a wide range of causes for them, including:

some medicines, such as antipsychotics
heartburn and acid reflux
cancer, such as mouth or throat cancers
nervous system or brain disorders
muscle disorders
blockages or structural issues with your mouth, throat or oesophagus.

Symptoms of swallowing difficulties

Symptoms of swallowing difficulties may include:

coughing or choking when eating or drinking
bringing food back up, may be through your nose
the feeling that food is stuck in your throat
having issues chewing your food
problems with dribbling.

Swallowing difficulties can cause weight loss, dehydration and chest infections.

Diagnosing swallowing difficulties

Let your healthcare provider know if you have swallowing difficulties. They will ask you about your symptoms and check if any other health conditions you have may be the cause.

Your healthcare provider may refer you to a specialist for tests. These may include a:

gastroscopy—a camera is passed down through your mouth to look at your throat and stomach
swallowing study—your throat and stomach are x-rayed as you swallow small amounts of food.

Treating swallowing difficulties

How your swallowing difficulties are treated depends on the cause and how severe it is. Treatments may include:

medicines to treat acid reflux
swallowing therapy with a speech and language therapist
making changes to what you eat and drink, such as softer foods and using thickener in drinks
using special spoons, plates and cups
surgery to widen your oesophagus.
using special medication lubricants eg Gloup to help make it easier to swallow tablets etc. For more information click here.

Self care for swallowing difficulties

As well as seeing your healthcare provider, the following tips may help you to get food or liquids into your stomach.

Sit upright in a chair—at a table is best.
Have regular small meals instead of the main large meals.
Eat or drink small mouthfuls at a time.
If your voice is gurgly when you eat or drink, give a small cough to make sure your airway is clear.
Wet food will be easier to swallow as dry food can catch in your throat.
If your food has 2 consistencies, such as fruit in juice and cereal in milk, try to mix it into 1 consistency, or eat the solid and liquid portions separately.
Concentrate on eating and avoid talking.
Hot, ice-cold or fizzy liquids are easier to swallow than room temperature liquids.
If you are told to have thickened liquids, avoid ice-cream and jelly as they thin before swallowing.
Drink from the top half of you cup to avoid tipping your head back.

Have a look at our range of Gloup medication lubricants here which can help with difficulties swallowing tablets...

Bureta Pharmacy Shop

We're 'the little pharmacy with the big heart' - our slogan explains our attitude - small in size but big in attitude, we like to go the extra mile for our customers!