Signs and Symptoms of Rheumatic Heart Disease

Rheumatic heart disease is a life-long cardiac condition where the heart valves are damaged by the inflammation that occurs with rheumatic fever. The heart valves may become scarred, and blood is prevented from flowing in the direction or quantity that it should.

Cause

• Rheumatic heart disease is caused by rheumatic fever, which may result from an untreated strep throat infection.

Identification

• Everyone is susceptible to the strep throat virus and may experience acute rheumatic fever, but children ages five to 15 most commonly suffer.

Signs of Infection

• Rheumatic fever typically occurs two to three weeks after a strep throat infection. Common symptoms associated with rheumatic fever involve a general unwell feeling, fever, and joint pain and swelling that alternates locations in the body.

Significance

• According to the American Heart Association, rheumatic heart disease is the leading cause of cardiovascular death among people ages 50 and below in the world's developing countries.

Prevention

• The most important method of prevention for rheumatic heart disease is to treat a strep throat infection with antibiotics before rheumatic fever is able to develop.