Fever is one of common symptoms indicating that our body is having a disease. However, fever alone can be caused by a lot of diseases and it takes a couple more symptoms in order for a healthcare professional to make an initial diagnosis. But, there are types of fever that can indicate certain diseases. One of them is also known as periodic fever syndrome. Periodic fever is a condition where you experience recurrent episodes of fever. It is a rare occurrence and usually affects the children. The accompanying symptoms are joint pain, abdominal pain and also sore throat. Most of the common fever were caused by infections, but it is very different for this periodic fever syndrome. This syndrome is usually caused by rare inherited conditions, meaning that some of the family members might experience the same fate. It also involves unregulated inflammation, which makes it become recurrent and have auto inflammatory properties. Most of these conditions will go off on their own and treatment usually involves the use of medicine or medical supplements in order to treat the symptoms. Below are some of the common diseases that have symptom of recurrent episodes of fever:
- Periodic Fever, Aphthous Stomatitis, Pharyngitis, Adenitis (PFAPA) Syndrome
PFAPA is the most common disease that develops symptoms of recurrent episodes of fever. The other symptoms also include sore throat, mouth sores and also swollen lymph nodes at the neck. It usually affects children from the age of 2 to 5 years old. There are also no complications associated with this syndrome. For this type of condition, the treatment given will aim to control and minimize the symptoms. Usually, PFAPA might last for a few years but typically goes away on its own during the second decade of life.
- Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF)
Based on its name, this condition happens to people that are from Mediterranean and Middle Eastern descent. It is another genetic condition that might develop symptoms such as recurrent fever, swelling and also pain at abdomen, joint or chest. This disease typically affects children under the age of 10. Since it can affect the joint, a more severe FMF can make it painful and harder to walk or move. Besides, it can be very dangerous if left untreated. FMF can lead to amyloidosis if it is not treated, causing further complications such as organ failure. Once that happens, there is no chance to turn it back to normal.
- Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-Associated Periodic Syndrome (TRAPS)
TRAPS onset often happens during childhood and can also be delayed until mid-adulthood. The symptoms associated with these conditions are recurrent fever, chill, muscle pain and also painful rash. Furthermore, people with TRAPS also suffer from eye diseases such as conjunctivitis and also swelling around the eye. Some of them also reported having amyloidosis. This is why it is very important to treat the symptoms in order to lessen the effect.
- Hyperimmunoglobulin D Syndrome (HIDS)
This is a rare genetic disease. HIDS’s symptoms usually start in the first year of life. Usually, the symptom will begin with an onset of high fever. The associated symptoms that come together with HIDS include skin rash, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, swollen neck glands and also joint pain.
These conditions have the same type of symptom, and that is recurrent episodes of fever. If you think that you or your children suffer from any of the diseases mentioned above, please meet your doctor as soon as possible. Early diagnosis of these conditions might be able to prevent any further future complications.
