rheumatic heart disease meaning?

Answer 1

What are rheumatic heart disease and rheumatic fever?

Rheumatic (roo-MAT'ik) heart disease is a condition in which the heart valves are damaged by rheumatic fever.

Rheumatic fever begins with a strep throat from streptococcal (STREP'to-KOK'al) infection.

Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease. It can affect many of the body's connective tissues — especially those of the heart, joints, brain or skin. Anyone can get acute rheumatic fever, but it usually occurs in children five to 15 years old. The rheumatic heart disease that results can last for life.

What are the symptoms of rheumatic heart disease?

Symptoms vary greatly. Often the damage to heart valves isn't immediately noticeable. A damaged heart valve either doesn't fully close or doesn't fully open.

Eventually, damaged heart valves can cause serious, even disabling, problems. These problems depend on how bad the damage is and which heart valve is affected. The most advanced condition is congestive heart failure. This is a heart disease in which the heart enlarges and can't pump out all its blood.

How can I prevent rheumatic heart disease?

The best defense against rheumatic heart disease is to prevent rheumatic fever from ever occurring. By treating strep throat with penicillin or other antibiotics, doctors can usually stop acute rheumatic fever from developing.

People who've already had rheumatic fever are more susceptible to attacks and heart damage. That's why they're given continuous monthly or daily antibiotic treatment, maybe for life. If their heart has been damaged by rheumatic fever, they're also given a different antibiotic when they undergo dental or surgical procedures. This helps prevent bacterial endocarditis, a dangerous infection of the heart's lining or valves.

Answer 2

Rheumatic heart disease is the result of an infection with the bacteria Streptococcus. The bacteria can colonize the valves of the heart and also produce toxins that create permanent damage to these heart valves. Once treated the bacteria are gone but the damage to the heart valves remains. The valves direct flow through the heart - kind of like opening and closing doors - and if they don't open and close correctly then the heart has to work harder to pump blood correctly through the heart. The amount of damage varies - and may require surgical correction. People with damaged valves are susceptible to getting more damage - so if a person gets another bacterial infection - even a temporary infection after going to the dentist - the bacteria may attach to the site of the damage and make it worse. So these people always take antibiotics when they go to the dentist. Or having any procedure done that might lead to bacteria in the blood. Rheumatic heart disease is not an autoimmune disorder nor is it the result of antibodies - it is the result of toxins.
Streptococcus can also attack other organs of the body causing joint problems or kidney problems.

Answer 3

Rheumatic (roo-MAT-ik) heart disease was formerly one of the most serious forms of heart disease of childhood and adolescence. This disease involves damage to the entire heart and its membranes. It is a complication of rheumatic fever and usually occurs after attacks of rheumatic fever. The incidence of this condition has been greatly reduced by widespread use of antibiotics effective against the streptococcal bacterium that causes rheumatic fever.

What causes Rheumatic Heart Disease?

Rheumatic fever causes rheumatic heart disease. Rheumatic fever results from an untreated strep throat. Rheumatic fever can damage the heart valves. If the heart valves are damaged, they will fail to open adn close properly. When this damage is permanent, the condition is called Rheumatic Heart Disease.

Who is at risk for Rheumatic Rever?

Rheumatic fever is uncommon in the United States. However, it can occur in children who have had strep infections that were untreated or inadequately treated.

What are the symptoms of Rheumatic Heart Disease?

Some of the most common symptoms are: breathlessness, fatigue, palpitations, chest pain, and fainting attacks.

Treatment options for Rheumatic Heart Disease?

Treatment may include dedication and surgery. Medication will aim to avoid overexertion. Surgery may be needed to replace the damaged valve(s).

Can Rheumatic Heart Disease be Prevented?

The best way to prevent rheumatic heart disease is to seek immediate medical attention to a strep throat and not let it progress to rheumatic fever.

Rheumatic Heart Disease Statistics

Rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease afflict about 1,800,000 Americans.
Rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease killed 5,014 Americans in 1997.

Answer 4

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Answer 6

I don't know if I will get what you want, but rheumatic heart disease is not an infectious disease. It is one where strep throat was left untreated and you developed antibodies. Those antibodies then attack the heart and make it weak. There are some better treatments for that today, but they are still not very good.
The short answer is that every time you are exposed to strep again, your heart is at risk. When you go to the dentist to get your teeth cleaned, they give you massive doses of antibiotics to combat any surge in population when they start digging at your teeth.
It means you have an autoimmune disease for which there is no cure today.

Answer 7

People that suffered from Rheumatis Fever that went untreated may develope a problem with their heart later in life. My mother in law had to have surgery to replace a heart valve due to rheumatic fever damage. It usually scars the leaflets of the heart valves and causes them not to open or close properly.