Strep throat goes away by itself even if antibiotics are not taken. The fact is few people realize the biggest reason why we treat strep throat. For the parents and the child, prescribing antibiotics for strep throats to get rid of the infection and thus the cause of pain is of immediate importance. However, of even greater importance is preventing the complications of strep throat the most dangerous of which is Acute Rheumatic Fever.
Rheumatic fever is an acute infectious disease that occurs primarily in children and young adults.
Although it is not seen often, it is usually diagnosed as a complication arising from other conditions such as streptococcal throat infection and scarlet fever. It is characterized by fever, skin rash, pain and swelling in the joints, and inflammation of the heart membrane and valves. The peak age of incidence for rheumatic fever is 5 to 15 years, but cases do occur in adults. Acute rheumatic fever is rare in children less than 4 years of age. The average duration of an attack of acute rheumatic fever is 3 months or longer.