Rheumatic Heart Disease Facts

Rheumatic fever is the direct cause of rheumatic heart disease. Those at a greater risk to contract rheumatic fever are children ages five to fifteen, but anyone can contract the disease. Unfortunately, once acquired, the effects of rheumatic heart disease can last a lifetime.

Strep Throat is thought to be a cause of rheumatic fever, although the exact culprit is unclear. Symptoms may include red swollen tonsils, a sore throat, fever, muscle aches, headache, chest pain, fatigue and a shortness of breath.

Rheumatic heart disease is described as a heart valve that either does not fully open or does not fully close. This could directly lead to congestive heart failure, which is explained as a process in which the heart becomes enlarged and can no longer pump away all its blood.

A way to prevent rheumatic heart disease is by immediately seeking antibiotic treatment if is contracted. Strep Throat is a known cause of rheumatic fever. If you have had rheumatic fever, you may already have heart damage and, although preventative measures are no longer an option, consulting a doctor could certainly improve your condition, as he could prescribe a continuous treatment plan. This plan would generally consist of antibiotics that are used to help treat heart disease or attacks.

If you have been affected by rheumatic heart disease you should be advised to make your situation aware to any other doctors, surgeons, and dentists. It is possible for them to contact an infection through the bloodstream, and they could administer other antibiotics to you, perhaps with a higher potency. They might do this before certain procedures in order to prevent getting a disease themselves.

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