! Seek urgent medical care if warning signs appear
Some health conditions or symptoms can become urgent. Use this page for education, but seek help quickly if warning signs are present.
Get urgent medical care now if there is any severe, sudden, rapidly worsening or worrying symptom, especially:
- chest pain, pressure or pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back
- trouble breathing, blue lips, severe wheeze or choking
- stroke-like symptoms such as face drooping, arm weakness or speech trouble
- collapse, fainting, seizure, confusion or extreme drowsiness
- severe bleeding, black stools, vomiting blood or major injury
- severe allergic reaction, swelling of the face/throat or widespread rash with breathing trouble
- severe abdominal pain, severe headache, stiff neck or sudden vision change
- signs of severe dehydration, sepsis, high fever with worsening illness, or symptoms in a baby/young child that concern you
Treatments, therapies and supportive options
0Grouped by treatment type. These are educational database links, not personal treatment recommendations. Evidence labels are shown only where stored in the EH database.
No linked treatment or supportive options are listed yet.
Introduction / full article
Familial Mediterranean Fever
ID 760
Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF)
FMF is an inherited inflammatory disorder that usually affects those of Mediterranean origin. It usually starts during childhood with symptoms of fever, some chest pain, muscle pain and swollen joints, skin rashes and diarrhoea, which can last hours to days. There is no cure for this disorder but proper treatment can reduce the effect of symptoms. It is best to seek medical attention as early as possible especially when there are already incidents of fainting and intolerable pain together with high fever. When left untreated, Familial Mediterranean Fever can cause kidney damage, fertility issues, and arthritis.
