Rheumatism or Rheumatic fever

Rheumatic fever is a general disorder accompanied by pain in the joints, feverishness, and copious perspiration. The disease is one to which children and adolescents are more prone, it is generally not evidenced among people over thirty years of age. If the disease attacks an individual upto the age of eighteen, proper care and medication can control the disease. The disease has a tendency to spread in an erratic manner, and involves the smooth membranes of the body, particularly, the heart.

Causes and Symptoms

An attack of rheumatic fever generally begins with a chill, followed by fever. It is accompanied by a feeling of stiffness or pain in one or more joints, usually of the ankles, knees, wrists and shoulders. With the passage of time, the pain becomes really severe. The patient's face becomes flushed and his whole body is bathed in perspiration. The temperature is usually 39.4°C, the pulse rapid but strong, the tongue coated. The patient also suffers from excessive thirst, loss of appetite, and constipation. The attack lasts for a few days if there is no relapse. If the disease is not controlled, certain complications may develop. Inflammation of the outer membrane, the inner membrane, and the muscle of the heart may develop. The risk of cardiac complications is greater among patients of tender age since their joints are small and their swelling may sometimes be overlooked. Another serious complication which is noticed in some cases is hyperpyrexia (high fever), ranging from 41.1°C to 42.2°C.

Home Remedies

• Dandalion leaf has diuretic quality, that increases output from the kidneys, while its root is a mild laxative and liver tonic. Make infusion of its leaves and decoction from its root, and use both for about 7-days. While Nettel is a great cleanser of blood and also rich in minerals, it helps also the repair and renewal of tissues. Both remedies can be combined to yield optimum favourable results. To relieve extreme pain Meadowsweat is recommended. Nettle and Meadow­sweat infusions can be used for the purpose.

• Ginger is known for its pushing up circulatory property, and can be added to either of the above said infusions. Ginger plays a significant role in Arthritis and Rheumatism.

• For local treatment, essentials oil are required to cleanse the tissue and drain out toxities. For this purpose oils of Juniper, Pin, Cypress and Rosemary are required, whereas lavender oil will and aid in greater muscular relaxation, if added to anyone of the said list of oils. Stiffness and pain can be got rid of by blending Rosemary and lavender oils or Marjoram and Juniper may be added (2% of oils to vegetable base oils). It will improve blood supply to muscles and also help in speedy removal of toxins. Massage with oil is an ideal method which can restore near-normal movements, remove stiffness and swelling from the joints. Once waste material has been removed, most the symptoms will disappear and show considerable improvement.

• A hot compress of sand or salt put in a hag and heated over a hot plate, should be applied to the swollen joints. Leaves of amarhel or dhatura heated over a hot plate may be applied to the affected joints as a poultice.

• A 3 inch piece of dried ginger is grinded with a grape sized piece of asafoetida in milk. Then paste is applied on the affected area and exposed to the sun for imparting warmth and heat.

Precaution

The patient must avoid fried eatables and sour foods like curds and alcohol, moong dal, meat soup, garlic, onions, bitter gourd, papaya and green bananas are the foods which help in controlling gout and rheumatic pain.