Rheumatism is a disease that stems from rheumatic fever. This is a kind of fever that a person may pass on to another. It is usually contracted at an early age and has the tendency to stay for many long days as well. It can also be particularly painful in nature. While the fever is afflicting the person, it is not necessary that the person will develop rheumatism at the same time. In a lot of cases, it is seen that the rheumatism actually develops and sets in at a much later, and sometimes even at a very advanced age. It is essential to know that while rheumatic fever may be a contagious thing, rheumatism is not at all contagious. It is not possible to spread what becomes and remains an internal disease via any normally contagious way. Rheumatic fever, on the other hand may be transmitted from person to person in the normal way a fever can be spread around. This would be via the exchange of bodily fluids or via contact of open skin with the affected person. It is extremely important that you be extremely careful about quarantining a person who has rheumatic fever before you find it spreading to other members of the family.
In case the fever relapses at a later stage and age in life, the chances that it may only leave the body after imparting rheumatism are very high. If rheumatism is contracted, it is good to be aware of a few basic things about it. The first is that it is what is known as a progressively degenerative disease. That is to say that it is not the most commonly curable disease. It will have a tendency to keep progressing into a worse and worse condition with time. It is essential that you check the disease by means of exercise and extremely strict diet control. These are the only ways by which it can be controlled in any case. It is extremely rare that medicines can manage of cure or get rid of rheumatism. It is also extremely important that you remain under the constant care and guidance of a single physician for the duration of the disease. Understand that there is only so much that doctors can do for you. Be aware that pain is a constant companion, and do not keep changing doctors or medicines to get away from it. This will only make the condition degenerate faster.
answered by G R