Rheumatic Heart Disease - Things To Know About It!

Some people have a sore throat which they think will go away sooner rather than later. Well, while it may not seem serious, rheumatic heart disease means that it could potentially be! But, how exactly?

A sore throat usually comes about on account of bacteria affecting the region of the throat.

Sometimes what can happen is that the same bacteria can go all the way to the heart and damage the valves of it. This is very serious as the health of a person fundamentally depends on the health of his or her heart!

When a sore throat does not seem to be getting better even after about three days go by, the first thing which is to be done is to see a doctor. This is due to the fact that delays can result in the situation getting worse. As a result of this, treatment can get more complex. And who wishes to compound their own miseries, after all?

Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disorder caused by a Group A strep throat infection. It affects the connective tissue of the body, causing temporary, painful arthritis and other symptoms. In some cases, rheumatic fever causes long-term damage to the heart and its valves. This is called rheumatic heart disease.

Children who are aged between five and fifteen years of age are at risk of rheumatic heart disease. Now, while it is true that children are likely to fall sick more often than adults as their immune systems may not be all that strong, a special eye is to be kept out for rheumatic heart disease. The general symptoms which a parent should look out for are a sore throat, a cough and a fever. The tough part is that these symptoms appear which a range of other conditions!

When it comes to knowing that rheumatic heart disease is what is affecting a person, a special blood test is taken and if there is a need, an ECG and some other measures confirm rheumatic heart disease. Penicillin is a wonder drug and it is used in the treatment of rheumatic heart disease, as well. It is the general form of treatment, in fact, and people with the disease are often put on a course of injections. This means that they need to have an injection every 21 days until you reach 25 years so as to make sure that there is no further damage which can affect the valves of the heart. The importance of this cannot be impressed enough.

It is unfortunate that in many cases, people only discover that they have rheumatic heart disease once they reach adulthood. The valves of the heart may be leaking or significantly damaged by the time that the discovery is made. Is it not a lot better to save oneself from this sort of situation?

Signs and symptoms of rheumatic fever

1. Carditis: inflammation of the heart muscle and heart tissue. Carditis can cause a rapid heart rate, fatigue, shortness of breath and exercise intolerance. This is the most serious of the symptoms and may have long-term effects on health. 
2. Arthritis: swelling, redness and pain in the joints, especially knees, ankles, elbows and wrists. This is a common symptom and occurs in approximately 70 percent of people who have rheumatic fever
3. Splotchy rash that doesn’t itch
4. Subcutaneous nodules: tiny, hard lumps under the skin
5. Fever

How to Prevent Rheumatic Fever

Practicing proper hygiene methods can help prevent strep throat. These include:

1. covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing
2. washing your hands
3. avoiding contact with people who are sick
4. avoiding sharing personal items with people who are sick

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!