Rheumatism of the heart is a disease that affects the heart and causes permanent damage to the heart valves. The individual becomes afflicted with it when an immune response occurs, which causes inflammation in the heart valves. It has been revealed that this disease requires the patient to visit a cardiologist to check the health of his heart on a regular basis, and based on the extent of the damage to which the heart is exposed, the doctor reveals the activities that should be avoided.

What is heart rheumatism?

We can explain rheumatic heart disease as a type of complication of rheumatic fever that results after an individual is infected with streptococcal bacteria, from which the patient suffers damage to the heart valves and damage to the heart muscle as well, and bacterial infections cause sore throat or symbolic fever, and here an immune response occurs in the body, and the person may develop infections throughout the body, including the heart, and if the carditis is not treated, the heart valve ends up being permanently damaged, and here a group of problems appear.

Causes of rheumatic heart disease

A person develops the health condition rheumatic heart disease for several reasons, which are as follows:

• The permanent damage that results from rheumatoid fever, which is caused to the heart valves, is classified as a severe inflammatory disease that affects many connective tissues in the body, including the heart, joints, skin, and brain. 
• Suffering from bacterial ring infections, especially the type of infections that result from the bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes, which then develops into rheumatoid fever if antibiotics are not used to treat it. This leads to an inflammatory immune response, which appears two or three weeks after the infection, in people most susceptible to it.
• Rheumatoid fever, which causes an inflammatory immune response that affects the heart valves.

Symptoms of rheumatic heart disease

There are many symptoms of rheumatic heart disease, but they differ from one patient to another, as there are patients who show symptoms of rheumatic heart disease quickly and other people who do not show symptoms at all, and the appearance of symptoms depends on the extent of the damage to the heart, and also according to the location of the damage. In general, symptoms appear after one to six weeks of infection with bacterial sore throat. Below we mention the most important symptoms: 

• A patient with rheumatic heart disease has a fever. 
• The patient feels severe pain in the joints, especially in the knee and ankle area, and the pain moves to another joint.
• Redness, tenderness and swelling in the joints. 
• Skin nodules, which appear as lumps affecting the bottom of the skin. 
• A prominent red rash appears in the chest, shoulders, and abdomen. 
• The patient feels short of breath. 
• The patient feels uncomfortable in the chest area. 
• Breathing problems when lying down. 
• The patient makes involuntary movements in the arms or legs, or movements in the facial muscles.
• The patient feels general weakness and fatigue. 
• Feeling heart palpitations. 
• Suffering from fluid retention or edema. 
• Exposure to fainting.

How is rheumatic heart disease diagnosed?

Diagnosing the condition of rheumatic heart disease is through examining the patient to detect bacterial throat infections, and this is done by performing a culture or doing blood tests, and there is a traditional physical examination that diagnoses rheumatic heart disease, where the heart sound appears in some of the affected people, and in this case the patient has blood leaking around the area of ​​​​the damaged valves. 

The traditional physical examination also reveals symptoms and signs of rheumatic heart disease, and there is an ECG diagnosis through sound waves that help examine the heart chambers and valves, which reveal damage to the valves, and also show all problems in the direction of blood flow through the valves or if there is fluid around the heart. These waves even reveal the presence of heart enlargement. 

In addition, the diagnosis is based on an electrocardiogram, and this examination is done by recording the strength and times of the electrical activity of the patient’s heart, which reveals the presence of abnormal patterns in the heart’s electricity, through which damage to the heart muscles appears, in some cases. Diagnosis is also available through a chest

Treatment of heart rheumatism

Treatment for heart rheumatism depends on the extent of the damage to the heart valves. There are severe cases that are treated with surgical intervention. Here are the details of the treatment: 

• Heart failure It is a disease that is treated in hospitals using special medications to treat it. 
• Infectious diseases are treated with antibiotics.
• Treatment of infections is through steroids and types of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including aspirin. 
• Preventing strokes by using blood-thinning medications.
• In cases of restoration or replacement of damaged valves in the heart, this is done through surgical operations. 
• Opening stuck valves requires surgical intervention, which is the insertion of a balloon through a blood mail.

The best treatment for a case of heart rheumatism is to prevent the development of rheumatoid fever. The doctor prescribes antibiotics for people who suffer from rheumatoid fever for daily or monthly use, for a period of years, or for the rest of their lives, depending on the patient’s condition. To avoid the development of complications resulting from heart rheumatism, one should undergo continuous examination with the doctor, obtain vaccines for infectious diseases, and use preventive antibiotics against Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria.

Tips for living with rheumatic heart disease

There are many important tips that enable the patient to live with rheumatic heart disease, and help reduce the risk of complications that may affect the patient. The tips are as follows:

• Continuous follow-up with the specialist doctor, in order to examine and evaluate the condition and determine the health of the heart. 
• Visiting a doctor helps avoid many problems, as the doctor prescribes antibiotics according to the case. There are patients who use them for a long time and there are patients who use them for life. 
• It is necessary for the patient to stay away from crowded places, to avoid contracting any new infection, as this will worsen his medical condition.
• Consult the specialist doctor who is following up on the case regarding the possibility of the patient obtaining some of the necessary vaccines, including the influenza vaccine. 
• Personal care is of great importance for patients with rheumatic heart disease, which is oral and dental hygiene, as this greatly helps in reducing the risk of bacterial accumulation that leads to new bacterial infections.

How can rheumatic heart disease be prevented?

Rheumatism of the heart is one of the medical conditions that can be prevented by preventing bacterial throat infections. It can also be prevented by treating it with antibiotics when it appears on the patient. It is necessary for the patient to pay attention to the importance of continuing to take the antibiotics prescribed by the specialist doctor. It is even important to adhere to all instructions about taking these antibiotics, and the patient should not stop using them if he feels better.

Book your consultation now at مركز القلب والأوعية الدموية At Al Mousa Specialist Hospital.

Complications of rheumatic heart disease

Many patients with rheumatic heart disease are exposed to complications, which are potential complications that we explain below:

• Heart failure, due to significant narrowing of the heart valves, or due to leaks in the valves.
• The occurrence of bacterial endocarditis, which affects the inner lining of the heart and results from damage to the valves.
• Rupture of heart valves is a medical emergency that requires intervention Heart surgery, for valve restoration or replacement.
• Strokes occur as a result of blood clots in the heart or damaged valves, as they travel to the blood vessels in the brain, and then cause strokes.

Who is most at risk of developing rheumatic heart disease?

There are people who are more susceptible to rheumatic heart disease, and we reveal that below:

• Children and adolescents with strep throat, a bacterial infection resulting in rheumatic carditis.
• Anyone with a family history of rheumatic heart disease.
• Individuals who live in areas where there are many cases of strep throat, as the infection spreads easily.
• A person who suffers from a weakened immune system.
• A person who suffers from malnutrition because it leads to a weak immune system.

Frequently asked questions:

Can rheumatic heart disease be cured?

Usually, the disease cannot be completely eliminated, but what specialized cardiologists do is work to increase the chances of living with the disease for a patient with rheumatic heart disease, without developing complications at an increasing rate. This is done through the use of medications and injections that include antibiotics, and through taking care of dental and oral hygiene that helps remove bacteria.

How many years does a patient with rheumatic heart disease live?

It was estimated in 2015 regarding rheumatic heart disease that it was a disease that resulted in the death of 305,000 people, including 60 premature deaths before the age of 70 years. It was revealed that most people with rheumatic heart disease die at the age of less than 40 years.

Is rheumatism fatal?

Rheumatic diseases are classified into more than 100 types, and many of them impede the patient’s daily activities, and even negatively affect life, and the risk rate depends on the severity of the inflammation afflicting the individual. In general, rheumatism is not considered a serious disease when the patient adheres to treatment and a healthy lifestyle, and in the absence of early diagnosis, serious complications occur.

Does rheumatic heart disease affect pregnancy?

It is noteworthy that pregnant women who suffer from rheumatic heart disease are at risk of death, along with their fetuses, as the continuation of pregnancy in the presence of rheumatic heart disease causes heart failure in the mother near her birth, during birth, and after her birth as well.

We revealed everything related to rheumatic heart disease, which affects an individual as a result of an untreated staphylococcal infection, and proved that in countries that lack antibiotics, their residents are more at risk of developing rheumatic heart diseases, which are followed by health problems that pose a threat to the patient’s health, including heart failure.

Sources and references

Rheumatic Heart Disease – clevelandclinic

Rheumatic heart disease – who