Symptoms
Symptoms of rheumatic heart disease depend on the degree of valve damage and may include:
- Shortness of breath (especially with activity or when lying down)
- Chest pain
- Swelling
Causes
Severe rheumatic heart disease can require heart surgery and result in death. Having a group A strep infection does not protect someone from getting infected again in the future. People can also get rheumatic fever more than once. However, there are things people can do to protect themselves and others.
Prevention
What are the Risk factors of Rheumatic Heart Disease? Since rheumatic fever is caused by a communicable disease, the risk factors include: Poverty; Unhygienic living conditions; Overcrowding
Complications
These factors can also raise your risk for heart disease:
- Smoking
- Being overweight or having obesity
- Not getting enough physical activity
- Eating a diet high in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium (salt)
- Drinking too much alcohol
How does rheumatic heart disease effects the body?
What is the prognosis of rheumatic heart disease?
What is the predisposing factor of rheumatic heart disease?
What are some possible causes of heart disease?
What is the symptoms of rheumatic heart disease?
Symptoms of rheumatic fever, which can lead to rheumatic heart disease, include: Swelling, redness and pain in the joints. An inflammation of the heart muscle and tissue, causing a rapid heart rate, fatigue, shortness of breath and exercise intolerance. Fever.
Who is most affected by rheumatic heart disease?
Rheumatic heart disease is the most commonly acquired heart disease in people under age 25, and mostly affects children and adolescents in low- and middle-income countries.
How do you prevent rheumatic heart disease?
Ideally, ARF and RHD can be prevented. Antibiotic therapy (such as penicillin) to treat GroupA Streptococcus throat infection can dramatically reduce the risk of ARF and its complication, rheumatic heart disease. If ARF or RHD do occur, long-term antibiotics can reduce progression to more severe disease.
What is the treatment for rheumatic heart disease?
Antibiotic therapy has sharply reduced the incidence and mortality rate of rheumatic fever/rheumatic heart disease. To reduce inflammation, aspirin, steroids, or non-steroidal medications may be given. Surgery may be necessary to repair or replace the damaged valve.
How long can you live with rheumatic heart disease?
Patients with mild RHD at diagnosis were the most stable, with 64% remaining mild after 10 years; however, 11.4% progressed to severe RHD and half of these required surgery.
How is rheumatic heart disease diagnosed?
How is rheumatic heart disease diagnosed? People with rheumatic heart disease will have or recently had a strep infection. A throat culture or blood test may be used to check for strep. They may have a murmur or rub that may be heard during a routine physical exam.
Is rheumatic heart disease can be cured?
How is rheumatic heart disease treated? There is no cure for rheumatic heart disease and the damage to the heart valves are permanent. Patients with severe rheumatic heart disease will often require surgery to replace or repair the damages valve or valves.
What food is good for rheumatic heart disease?
The food should include fresh fruits, vegetables, grain, lean meat products (chicken) and fish. Low blood levels of vitamins or high cholesterol levels should be corrected by dietary supplements and / or cholesterol lowering drugs.
Can you exercise with rheumatic heart disease?
Fitness exercises improve a child's endurance and cardiovascular health, while keeping muscles strong and joints more flexible. Types of fitness exercises appropriate for most children with rheumatic diseases include walking, water exercise, and bicycling.
What is the most common serious complication of rheumatic heart disease?
The major cause of death and disability from RHD is heart failure. Over time, scarred and damaged heart valves make it impossible for the heart to pump blood effectively. Without a well-functioning heart, fluid builds up in the lungs and body, causing symptoms like breathlessness, swelling and fatigue.
Is rheumatic heart disease serious?
Rheumatic heart disease is heart valve damage due to rheumatic fever. The fever is your body's inflammatory response to a bacterial infection. Children in poor countries without access to antibiotics are at the highest risk. The condition can lead to serious health problems, including heart failure.
Is rheumatic heart disease genetic?
Although rheumatic heart disease is caused by an infection, research has shown that some families are more likely to develop the condition than others –a genetic component to developing the disease.
What is the prevalence of rheumatic heart disease?
During 1990–2019, the global RHD prevalence increased by 70.49% and reached 40.50 million in 2019. The total ASR of prevalence was 513.68/100,000 in 2019, and the overall ASR had an increasing trend (EAPC = 0.57, 95%CI 0.50 to 0.63) (Table 1; Fig.
What is the epidemiology of rheumatic heart disease?
The RHD prevalence rate was 1.7 cases per 1,000 enrolled. A history of rheumatic fever was elicited from 12.4% of the population and from 44.8% of the RHD cases. Prevalence rates of RHD and of rheumatic fever history were higher among older students and among those from lower socioeconomic circumstances.
Do adults get rheumatic fever?
Rheumatic fever most often affects children ages 5 to 15. But it can develop in younger children and adults.
What is the most common complication of rheumatic fever?
One of the most prevalent complications is rheumatic heart disease. Other heart conditions include: Aortic valve stenosis. This is a narrowing of the aortic valve in the heart.
What causes rheumatic heart disease?
Causes. Rheumatic heart disease is a direct result of rheumatic fever, an inflammatory disease caused by infection with group A streptococcus bacteria, which are responsible for illnesses such as strep throat and scarlet fever. Rheumatic fever affects connective tissue throughout the body, particularly in the heart, joints, skin, and brain.
What is the primary risk factor for rheumatic fever?
The primary risk factor for rheumatic fever is failing to take steps to prevent infection from strep bacteria (as well as other infectious microbes). This means infrequent handwashing, especially after sneezing or coughing or before eating.
What is RHD in medical terms?
Lifestyle Risk Factors. Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is heart valve damage that arises as a complication of rheumatic fever years after the illness has resolved. It develops as a result of chronic inflammation and scarring of the heart valves triggered by rheumatic fever—an inflammatory autoimmune disease that can develop as a result ...
What is rheumatic fever?
Rheumatic fever affects connective tissue throughout the body, particularly in the heart, joints, skin, and brain. When the heart is involved, inflammation can develop on the surface ( pericarditis ), within the valves ( endocarditis ), or in the heart muscle itself ( myocarditis ).
Why do people with rheumatic fever need a physical exam?
People who have experienced acute rheumatic fever should undergo an annual physical exam to check for a possible heart murmur or any other heart abnormality.
Does RHD cause rheumatic fever?
Some studies have revealed that differences in the expression of various genes involved in the immune response may contribute to susceptibility to rheumatic fever. 3 A 2020 study showed a genetic connection to RHD susceptibility and immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) locus on chromosome 14. This study highlights that the risk of getting rheumatic fever with an RHD family history is nearly fivefold higher than if you have no family history of RHD. 4
Is rheumatic heart disease genetic?
Genetics. Genetics may play a role in rheumatic heart disease, as there appears to be a genetic link that makes some people more susceptible to rheumatic heart disease. But little is known about the genetic factors that increase or decrease the risk of developing RHD. Some studies have revealed that differences in the expression ...
What causes rheumatic heart disease?
Rheumatic heart disease is heart valve damage resulting from rheumatic fever. Bacterial infections called group A streptococcal (GAS) infections can cause rheumatic fever. An infection, such as strep throat or scarlet fever, triggers your body’s immune response. It causes inflammation throughout the body, including in the heart. If untreated, the inflammation can lead to permanent heart valve damage and serious health problems.
How long does it take for rheumatic heart disease to show?
Symptoms of rheumatic heart disease may not appear until years after a strep infection or rheumatic fever. People with heart damage may experience:
What is the term for an abnormal heartbeat in the upper part of the heart that prevents normal blood flow?
Atrial fibrillation (abnormal heartbeat in the upper parts of the heart that prevent normal blood flow).
What is the best treatment for an abnormal heartbeat?
Medication: Your provider may recommend medication to manage an abnormal heartbeat. Anticoagulants (blood thinners) can reduce the risk of stroke or blood clots.
Can strep cause rheumatic fever?
Children and teenagers with untreated strep infections are the most likely to get rheumatic fever. Signs of heart damage can develop years after the infection and fever are gone.
Is rheumatic heart disease permanent?
The right treatments may delay or prevent heart failure. But the disease is permanent and requires long-term care.
Can rheumatic fever cause heart valve inflammation?
Heart valve inflammation from rheumatic fever causes rheumatic heart disease. The damage may occur right away. Or it can develop over time from repeated strep infections. Continuing inflammation leads to heart valve scarring and narrowing.
How to prevent rheumatic heart disease?
For countries where rheumatic heart disease is endemic, the main strategies for prevention, control and elimination include: improving standards of living; expanding access to appropriate care; ensuring a consistent supply of quality-assured antibiotics for primary and secondary prevention; and planning, developing and implementing feasible programmes for prevention and control of rheumatic heart disease, supported by adequate monitoring and surveillance, as an integrated component of national health systems responses.
How can rheumatic heart disease be prevented?
Rheumatic heart disease can be prevented by preventing streptococcal infections, or treating them with antibiotics when they do occur.
What is the name of the disease caused by strep infection?
In some people, repeated strep infections cause the immune system to react against the tissues of the body including inflaming and scarring the heart valves. This is what is referred to as rheumatic fever. Rheumatic heart disease results then from the inflammation and scarring of heart valves caused by rheumatic fever.
What is the cause of strep throat?
The disease results from damage to heart valves caused by one or several episodes of rheumatic fever, an autoimmune inflammatory reaction to throat infection with group A streptococci (streptococcal pharyngitis or strep throat). It most commonly occurs in childhood, and can lead to death or life-long disability.
What are the symptoms of rheumatic fever?
Rheumatic fever symptoms can include: painless nodules under the skin near joints and/or a rash consisting of pink rings with a clear centre (both rare) Symptoms of heart valve damage that is associated with rheumatic heart disease may include:
What is the leading cause of maternal cardiac complications in pregnancy?
Rheumatic heart disease remains the leading cause of maternal cardiac complications in pregnancy. In many rheumatic heart disease-endemic countries there is little or no access to life-saving heart valve surgery.
How to tell if a heart valve is damaged?
Symptoms of heart valve damage that is associated with rheumatic heart disease may include: 1 chest pain or discomfort 2 shortness of breath 3 swelling of the stomach, hands or feet 4 fatigue 5 rapid or irregular heart beat
What is rheumatic heart disease?
Rheumatic heart disease refers to the permanent damage of the heart valves after a single or multiple bouts of rheumatic fever. This condition can affect the mitral valve (65-70% of patients), aortic valve (about 25% of patients), or both. Damage to these heart valves may cause:
Why is it important to have a diagnostic test for rheumatic heart disease?
Diagnostic techniques are important when answering the question of what is rheumatic heart disease as it applies to a particular patient. Medical experts usually review the history of their patients to rule out other cardiac issues. Blood work may be necessary to diagnose the condition properly.
What is the precursor to RHD?
Before proceeding further, it is necessary to look at the precursor to RHD. Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria (responsible for causing strep throat infections), and it precedes the development of rheumatic heart disease.
How to treat RHD?
To start with, doctors prescribe medication to eliminate the streptococcal bacteria ( if any are present).
How long does it take for rheumatic fever to show up?
Moreover, an article published by the Seattle Children’s states that rheumatic heart disease symptoms show up to 20 years after the initial rheumatic fever bout.
Why are RHD patients unable to access healthcare?
Many RHD patients in developing countries are unable to access proper healthcare due to financial constraints. Data from the World Heart Federation shows that up to 1% of children in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the East Mediterranean region have rheumatic heart disease.
What are the two major and minor criteria for rheumatic fever?
The major diagnostic criteria include the presence of subcutaneous nodules, carditis, erythema marginatum, chorea, and polyarthritis.
What are the factors that play a role in rheumatic disease?
Genetic factors play a role in many rheumatic diseases. In some cases, specific genes have been identified that are associated with a condition. In other cases, having a family history of a condition puts you at a higher risk.
What are the symptoms of rheumatic disease?
swelling, which can be in and around your joints, or in other parts of the body. stiffness or limited range of motion. feelings of tiredness of fatigue. malaise or general feelings of being unwell. fever. weight loss. Each type of rheumatic disease can affect different parts of your body and have unique symptoms.
What is Lupus autoimmune disease?
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can cause inflammation throughout your body. With this disease, your immune system is responsible for attacking and affecting organs and tissues, such as your:
What happens if a rheumatic disease is left untreated?
If a rheumatic disease is left untreated, additional damage to your joints and other tissues can accumulate over time.
What is RA in medical terms?
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease where your immune system attacks your joints. Multiple joints can be affected at a time. The joints in your hands, wrists, and knees tend to be the most common targets.
Why is it important to see a doctor for rheumatic disease?
If you have symptoms that are consistent with a rheumatic disease , it’s important to see your doctor. In many cases, a timely diagnosis can prevent a disease from becoming more serious or causing more severe symptoms.
What is the name of the disease that causes stiffness and immobility in the spine?
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of inflammatory arthritis that targets your spine, causing long-term stiffness, and bony proliferation along the spine leading to immobility.
