Heart rheumatism
Rheumatic heart disease is an inflammatory disease of the heart valves as an autoimmune reaction to rheumatic fever, an advanced stage of pharyngitis caused by the streptococcus bacteria from the group Group A streptococci, which occurs after about 1-4 weeks of contractile pharyngitis. The symptoms of rheumatic fever include fevers, joint pains, especially the knee, ankle, elbow, and wrist joints, joint swelling and redness, and increased skin temperature around the joint. These symptoms are accompanied by fatigue, chest pain, Murmur, The only way to avoid rheumatic fever is to treat bacterial pharyngitis by taking the appropriate antibiotic, and rheumatic fever may be caused by scarlet fever. Therefore, treatment of scarlet fever It can prevent rheumatic fever.
In the acute stage of the disease, patients with rheumatic heart disease suffer from Pancarditis. In the case of chronic rheumatism, the patient suffers from narrowing and low fibrillation due to fibrosis. Rheumatic fever is often found in children and adolescents, with the highest rates in the 5 to 15 year age group, as well as in developing countries and areas where antibiotics are not properly taken in cases of pharyngitis.
Effect of rheumatic heart disease
Rheumatic heart disease causes permanent damage to the heart, especially to valves, and usually occurs ten to twenty years after the onset of rheumatic fever. The disease damage, which often occurs in mitral valve, includes the following:
- Valve stenosis, which in turn reduces blood flow.
- Valve failure (valve regurgitation), which leads to blood flow in the heart valves in the wrong direction.
- Myocardial infarction: The inflammation caused by rheumatic fever causes the weakening of the heart muscle and thus reduced the efficiency of the blood pump.
Treatment of rheumatic heart disease
The treatment of rheumatic heart disease depends on the degree of severity of the disease suffered by the person. The treatment may require the following:
- Introducing the patient to the hospital.
- Give appropriate antibiotics to treat bacterial infections, especially heart valve infection.
- Discharge the appropriate blood transfusions for the patient to prevent blood clots, stroke, and also give blood dilutions in case of replacement of damaged valves.
- Insert special balloons through the veins to open the closed valves.
- Repair the damaged heart valves if the damage is so large that it affects the size of the heart.
- Replace the damaged valve with an artificial valve.
Risk factors for heart rheumatism
There are several reasons that increase the risk of heart disease, including:
- Family history of rheumatic heart disease.
- Repeated episodes of rheumatic fever caused by sore throat caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae.
- Poverty.
- Overpopulation.
- Low access to medical care.
- Lack of water cleanliness.
Symptoms and signs of heart rheumatism
A person with rheumatic heart disease may have some symptoms, depending on their appearance on the affected valve, and the type and severity of damage to it. These symptoms include the following:
- pain in chest.
- Palpitations.
- Shortness of Breath during exertion, orthopnea or Paroxysmal Nocturnal Dyspnoea, which leads to waking up with the need to sit or stand.
- Swelling and swelling of the ankle or wrist.
- Facial swelling.
- Syncope.
- Stroke.
- Fever due to damaged heart valves.
- General fatigue.
- Hearing a heart attack or heart murmur during chest examination with a medical headset.
Diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease
Diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease includes knowledge of the patient’s history, whether the patient has contracted pharyngitis or rheumatic fever previously, and then physical examination of the patient, it is worth noting that the absence of heart attack does not exclude the patient’s heart, (ECG), which helps to detect any expansion of the heart chambers or arrhythmia, in addition to the layout of the heart. Echo of heart Echocardiography (Echocardiography) is the most efficient way to diagnose rheumatic heart disease, which can detect the presence of damage or infection in a valve or the presence of heart failure.
Prevention of rheumatic heart disease
To prevent the occurrence of rheumatic heart disease, it is recommended to do the following:
- Check your doctor for bacterial pharyngitis to describe the appropriate antibiotic.
- Check your doctor for suspected rheumatic fever and treat it with appropriate antibiotics to minimize heart disease.
- Taking antibiotics for a long time with rheumatic fever or rheumatic fever, to prevent the development of the disease and to reduce the possibility of any complications.
Pharyngeal infection
The cause of pharyngeal pharyngitis is usually caused, but in a few cases it may be caused by bacteria, and often Streptococcus bacteria from group A are the cause of bacterial pharyngitis. The patient suffers from inflammation, irritation, red throat, white spots, In addition to fever, loss of appetite, antibiotic should be taken in the case of bacterial pharyngeal infection. Doctors often prescribe amoxicillin and penicillin, and the patient has to complete the treatment period to prevent the development or return of the infection, Be for seven To ten days.