Can you drink alcohol with rheumatic fever?

Written by Liu Li Ning
Rheumatology
Updated on January 04, 2025
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Rheumatic fever should not involve alcohol consumption. Because drinking could potentially trigger a flare-up of rheumatic fever and worsen the symptoms. Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease caused by Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection. Common clinical manifestations include fever, subcutaneous nodules, erythema marginatum, joint pain or arthritis, chorea, carditis, and so forth. During the acute phase, the main symptoms are fever and joint pain, which can be treated with penicillin antibiotics to combat infection. Joint pain can be relieved with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as etoricoxib. In cases where carditis occurs during the acute phase, combined treatment with corticosteroids is also required. Regarding diet, it is advisable to eat lightly, and both smoking and drinking alcohol should be avoided.

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Written by Yang Ya Meng
Rheumatology
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What foods should not be eaten with rheumatic fever?

Patients with rheumatoid fever should avoid the following three major categories of foods: The first category is vegetables, such as celery, coriander, leeks, seaweed, and mushrooms, which should be consumed in moderation. The second category includes meats like lamb, beef, and dog meat, which are very warming and nourishing and should be reduced in consumption. The third category includes seafood such as shrimp, crab, and sea cucumber, which are high in protein and should also be avoided. For patients with rheumatism, the general dietary principle is to follow a light diet, avoid spicy and dry-heat foods, and reduce greasy foods. For patients with rheumatic fever, it is particularly important during the acute phase to rest and avoid catching colds and infections.

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Written by Liu Li Ning
Rheumatology
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Can you drink alcohol with rheumatic fever?

Rheumatic fever should not involve alcohol consumption. Because drinking could potentially trigger a flare-up of rheumatic fever and worsen the symptoms. Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease caused by Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection. Common clinical manifestations include fever, subcutaneous nodules, erythema marginatum, joint pain or arthritis, chorea, carditis, and so forth. During the acute phase, the main symptoms are fever and joint pain, which can be treated with penicillin antibiotics to combat infection. Joint pain can be relieved with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as etoricoxib. In cases where carditis occurs during the acute phase, combined treatment with corticosteroids is also required. Regarding diet, it is advisable to eat lightly, and both smoking and drinking alcohol should be avoided.

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Written by Yang Ya Meng
Rheumatology
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Symptoms and Treatment of Rheumatic Fever

Patients with rheumatism often experience symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections in the early stages of the disease, such as fever and sore throat. Additionally, patients with rheumatism commonly exhibit migratory joint pain, primarily characterized by acute onset of redness, swelling, heat, pain, and limited mobility in the joints, but these can improve on their own. Patients with rheumatic fever often also suffer from carditis, which can include valvulitis, myocarditis, and pericarditis, with damage to the valves being the most common. Rheumatic fever may also present with ring-shaped erythema on the skin or subcutaneous nodules, and it can include chorea. The most common treatment for rheumatic fever is the intramuscular injection of penicillin. (Specific medication use should be carried out under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Yang Ya Meng
Rheumatology
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Rheumatic fever clinical symptoms

The clinical manifestations of rheumatic fever primarily include: Some patients may experience low fever and rashes, and about half of the patients may exhibit symptoms such as morning stiffness. The joint pain associated with rheumatic fever often occurs more frequently in the large joints of the lower limbs and is asymmetrical, but it can also affect small joints and central axis joints. It commonly presents as non-migratory arthritis. Secondly, patients with rheumatic fever may experience cardiac involvement, with the most common being heart valve disease, particularly mitral valve stenosis. Additionally, patients with rheumatic fever may also suffer from kidney involvement, often presenting with symptoms such as hematuria and proteinuria, which are typical clinical symptoms of rheumatism.

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Written by Yang Ya Meng
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Can you soak your feet if you have rheumatic fever?

Patients with rheumatic fever can relieve some joint pain by soaking their feet, but this does not fundamentally solve the problem. Rheumatic fever is often caused by streptococcal infection, which leads to diseases such as arthritis. Therefore, antibiotics should be used at the source to eliminate streptococcal infection and hence prevent the recurrence of rheumatism. Additionally, we can use anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs to control joint pain. Commonly used anti-inflammatory analgesics include non-steroidal pain relievers, such as diclofenac sodium sustained-release tablets. If there is inflammation in the heart due to rheumatic fever, corticosteroid treatment should be considered. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)