HEART

Cardiovascular diseases: focus on rheumatic heart disease

If there is one organ that is most fragile, the heart is certainly at the top of the list. Responsible for pumping blood and distributing it throughout the body, the heart works with the many vessels and arteries to carry out this mission. Occasionally, disorders can occur and this system can no longer pump and distribute blood properly. This can lead to other health problems, especially in relation to oxygenation of vital organs. These cardiac problems can take many different forms. But in this article we will focus on what rheumatic heart disease is and how to treat it.

What does the term "cardiovascular disease" include?

One of the leading causes of death in the world, cardiovascular disease can affect anyone. However, in women, it is the leading cause of death. They are various disorders affecting the heart as well as the blood vessels. Typically, cardiovascular disease is caused by poor diet, heavy alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, obesity, stress and smoking. In some people, the appearance of this type of pathology may be favoured by genetic predispositions. These disorders may be a heart attack, hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, venous thrombosis, phlebitis (formation of blood clots in the vein) or rheumatic heart disease.

When disorders affecting the cardiovascular system occur, it is imperative to treat them quickly to limit complications and prevent the formation of pulmonary embolism.

What is rheumatic heart disease?

Rheumatic heart disease or rheumatic heart disease is a heart health condition that is most prevalent in developing countries. It is a group of heart conditions that can be short- or long- term. In the former case, rheumatism is referred to as acute. In the second case, it is a chronic disorder. Most of the time, rheumatic heart disease is caused by rheumatic fever. However, rheumatic heart disease only manifests itself 10 to 20 years after the latter.

It is important to remember that rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease originating from a bacterial infection such as streptococcus. Notably an infection of the throat that has not been properly treated with antibiotics. This fever can lead to inflammation of all the connective tissues in the body. The skin, joints, brain and especially the heart are therefore not spared.

The different types of rheumatic heart disease

Since the heart is divided into several chambers, the type of rheumatic heart disease that occurs can vary depending on the part of the heart that is affected by rheumatic fever. The main cardiac problems related to rheumatic fever are as follows:

What are the risk factors for this heart condition?

The occurrence of rheumatic heart disease depends mainly on rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever is a rare disease in developed countries. Rheumatic fever can occur at any age, however, it is more common in children between the ages of 5 and 15 years as a result of persistent sore throat. This sore throat is usually related to strep throat infection. It is easily treated with antibiotics. As you can see, the main risk factors for rheumatic heart disease are :

What symptoms should alert?

In order to prevent the occurrence of rheumatic heart disease, you should be alert to all signs that may indicate the presence of rheumatic fever. Therefore, do not hesitate to consult your doctor if you notice one or more of the following symptoms: joint pain, swelling and redness in the joints, fever, small bumps that are completely painless under the skin, a marginated erythema or chest pain.

As for the symptoms of rheumatic heart disease, they are as follows:

• Shortness of breath
• Chest pains
• An irregular pulse
• Fatigue that persists
• Dizziness and vertigo
• A feeling of discomfort in the chest
• Stomach swelling. This swelling can also affect the feet and ankles.{/xtypo_list}

How is rheumatic heart disease treated?

Treating rheumatic heart disease in young adults and children involves giving them antibiotics daily. This treatment can be continued for up to 25 or 30 years to prevent recurrence. It also prevents the development of infectious endocarditis. Other additional treatments will be prescribed on a case-by-case basis.