What Is Rheumatic Heart Disease?
Rheumatic heart disease is a condition that can take place when an individual experiences recurring episodes of rheumatic fever. Normally, the condition involves the development of scar tissue in the heart valves, as well as changes in the myocardium. Both these changes to the heart can make it more difficult for the organ to pump blood efficiently, which in turn places additional stress on the heart.
In order to understand how rheumatic heart disease comes about, it is important to know what happens when the individual experiences an episode of rheumatic fever. The fever itself is an inflammatory disease that manifests itself as strep in the throat. The infection in the throat can work through the connective tissue in the body, eventually making its way to the joints, the skin, and even the heart and the brain. The best known treatment for rheumatic fever is the use of antibiotics to kill the infection.