Rheumatic Fever vs Rheumatoid Arthritis: Understanding the Key Differences

Rheumatic fever and rheumatoid arthritis are often confused due to their similar names and some overlapping symptoms. However, they are distinct conditions with different causes, symptoms, and treatments.

Symptoms: Rheumatic fever is known for symptoms that mimic other rheumatic diseases, including joint swelling, pain, fever, nodules under the skin, weakness, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disorder, typically causes widespread inflammation, stiffness, swelling, joint pain, and sometimes a low-grade fever.

Treatment Overview: Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that can develop if strep throat or scarlet fever, caused by streptococcus bacteria, is not adequately treated. This condition predominantly affects children between 5 to 15 years old. Rheumatic fever can inflame the heart, joints, brain, and skin. It’s believed to be an immune response to a prior infection, where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy body parts.

In contrast, RA is also an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks the body’s cells, leading to symptoms like fatigue, a flat or slightly raised painless rash, and, occasionally, jerky uncontrollable body movements.

Diagnostic Considerations: Differentiating RA from other connective tissue diseases can be challenging. However, specific clinical features, such as the pattern of joint involvement and the presence of certain antibodies, can aid in the diagnosis.

For further detailed information, you can refer to the resources from Rheumatoid Arthritis.net, Mayo Clinic, New Life Outlook, CDC, Medical News Today, Arthritis Foundation, and Medscape.