Heartache Alert! Discover the Shocking Rheumatic Heart Disease Causes & Cure Now!

Rheumatic fever is an autoimmune inflammatory response to streptococcal bacterial infection that causes damage to the heart valves leading to rheumatic heart disease (RHD). RHD is a potentially fatal cardiac disorder if not treated in time. Streptococcus pyogenes, also known as group A streptococcus, is a bacterium that is easily transferred from person to person. It works similarly to other upper respiratory tract infections, and childhood is the most common age for contracting this illness.  

Rheumatic heart disease is more prevalent in underdeveloped or low-income countries where access to medicines for bacterial infections is limited. Every year, almost 300,000 individuals worldwide pass away from rheumatic heart disease, and the illness affects more than 40 million people worldwide. Rheumatic fever is most common in children and teens with untreated strep infections, and after contracting the virus, years may pass before heart damage symptoms appear.   

What is Rheumatic Heart Disease?

Rheumatic fever can damage the heart valves, which often leads to rheumatic heart disease. Rheumatic fever is caused by the bacteria known as group A streptococcal. Your body's immune system is triggered by this bacterial infection, which results in inflammation all over your body, including the heart. Your heart valves may sustain long-term damage due to this inflammation from rheumatic fever. The volume of blood that can pass through your heart is decreased by damaged valves and it could even cause blood flow in the incorrect direction. 

When you have rheumatic heart disease, several complications might occur. Rheumatic heart condition often causes constricted or leaky heart valves, bacteria-induced endocarditis, complications resulting from cardiac injury during pregnancy, and a cardiac valve rupture.  

Rheumatic Heart Disease Symptoms  

The diagnosis of rheumatic heart fever causes depends on the symptoms, but those often vary from person to person. They usually begin one to six weeks after a strep infection, but in several instances, the infection could have been too minor to identify. Sometimes, rheumatic heart disease symptoms can completely go away by the time the patient consults a doctor.  

The most typical rheumatic heart disease symptoms are as follows:  

• Fever 
  
• Swollen and painful joints (most commonly the knees and ankles) 
  
• Shortness of breath 
  
• Chest discomfort 
  
• Lumps under the skin  
  
• Red, raised rash on the chest and back  
  
• Weakness 
  

Rheumatic heart fever causes sometimes overlaps with the symptoms of other diseases, so only a medical practitioner can correctly identify the illness.

What causes Rheumatic Heart Disease? 

Rheumatic fever is the cause of rheumatic heart disease, and it can impact numerous connective tissues, including those found in the skin, joints, brain, or heart. Over time, the heart valves may become irritated and scarred, and the heart valve may narrow or leak because of this. The heart has a harder time functioning correctly as a result, which leads to heart failure in some cases. However, a rheumatic heart condition might take years to develop. 

Treatment of Rheumatic Heart Disease  

Early and effective rheumatic heart fever treatment may help you control your symptoms and slow the progression of the condition. However, you need to remember that there is no permanent cure for this condition.  

The most common treatment for this illness includes:  

1. Medication
   To treat heart damage or irregular heartbeat, your physician may prescribe medication. Patients with atrial fibrillation or a narrow mitral valve can have their risk of stroke or blood clots decreased by anticoagulants or blood thinners.
   
   
2. Minimally Invasive Procedure
   A physician may undertake a valvuloplasty to enlarge the narrow mitral valve, but it depends on the severity of the damage.
   
   
3. Lifestyle Adjustment
   You can reduce your chance of contracting heart disease or a stroke by managing your blood pressure, blood sugar level, and cholesterol.
   
   These are the lifestyle changes necessary for rheumatic heart fever treatment:
   
   (a) Increase your level of activity
   (b) Stop smoking
   (c) Consume a nutritious, well-balanced diet
   (d) Reduce your alcohol intake
   (e) Maintain weight
   (f) Reduce stress
   
   
4. Surgery
   You could require heart valve surgery if you have severe rheumatic heart disease, and in this procedure, the damaged heart valves are replaced or repaired by a surgeon. Should they be unable to repair your valve, doctors can place an artificial valve in place of the damaged one. Sometimes they will do a Ross surgery, in which a surgeon replaces the damaged valve with one of your healthy valves.
   
   For those with rheumatic heart disease, appropriate therapies may postpone or even prevent heart failure. However, the illness is irreversible and needs long-term care, and severe cardiac failure might result from this illness if routine examinations are not performed. 

Diagnosis of Rheumatic Heart Disease  

People who have rheumatic heart disease usually get it from a strep infection lately, and to check whether you had this infection before, a blood test or throat culture may be performed. When doctors perform a health test on you, they can hear a murmur in the chest if you have this disease because the blood flowing through the damaged valve causes this sound. The inflamed cardiac tissues move or rub against one another, which results in this sound.  

In addition to a thorough medical history and physical examination, the following tests may be performed to identify rheumatic heart disease: 

• Blood tests: Blood tests are performed to check if you had a strep infection before, which is the prevalent cause of this disease.  
  
• Electrocardiogram (ECG): This test measures the electrical activity of the heart and its timing, and it also displays irregular beats, known as dysrhythmias or arrhythmias. It occasionally detects damage to the heart's muscles.     
  
• Chest X-ray: To evaluate whether your heart is enlarged, a chest X-ray may be performed. 
  
• Cardiac MRI: This diagnostic procedure involves taking detailed images of the heart, and it might be applied to provide a more precise view of the heart muscle and valves.  
  
• Echocardiogram: This examination checks the heart's valves and chambers using sound waves. Once a handheld ultrasound probe (transducer) is placed over the heart, the echo sound waves produce an image on a computer screen. Echocardiogram tests may reveal fluid surrounding the heart, enlargement of the heart, damage to the valve flaps, and blood flowing backward via a leaking valve. It is the most helpful test today for identifying issues with the heart valves.  
  

Conclusion

Rheumatic fever can cause damage to the heart valves, leading to rheumatic heart disease, and this could occur following an untreated strep infection. The most vulnerable are the people living in nations where antibiotics are not easily unavailable. Heart failure and other major health issues might result from the syndrome, and the two major treatments, but not a cure, are medication and surgery. During the diagnosis process, doctors need blood test results to identify whether you had a strep infection.  

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