Rheumatic Heart Disease
Rheumatic Heart Disease is caused when a person has had rheumatic fever and there is undeviating damage to heart valves. In most cases, rheumatic fever is caused from strep throat that has gone untreated. In the United States, rheumatic heart disease had been pretty much non-existent, however, in recent years in the poor inner city neighborhoods rheumatic fever and its partner Rheumatic Heart disease is on the rise and a leading cause of heart disease. Rheumatic fever damages the heart muscle leading to rheumatic heart disease. Around one half of children that have rheumatic fever have some damage done to the heart valves. The fever scars the valves of the heart. This makes the heart work twice as hard to pump blood. Once this occurs it can lead to rheumatic heart disease. It may take several months or years after the occurrence of rheumatic fever for the child to develop symptoms of rheumatic heart disease.
With rheumatic heart disease, the heart valve that is damaged does not close all the way or does not open all the way. Many times the damage to the heart valve is not noticed but this damage can cause major problems. Since Rheumatic heart disease is brought on from rheumatic fever you should learn the symptoms. The symptoms of rheumatic fever include fever, red lattice like rash normally on the abdomen, back and chest, joints that are painful and swollen, small boy protuberances appear over the swollen joints, shortness of breath, weakness, controlled movements of the facial muscles, arms or legs and of course fever. In order to prevent rheumatic heart disease you must first prevent rheumatic fever. This can be done by taking your child to their doctor when you first notice they have a sore throat. If a sore throat goes into strep throat and you do not treat it with antibiotics you are running the chance of your little one contracting rheumatic heart disease. Once a child has had rheumatic fever he is more susceptible to having it over again. This gives him even more risk of rheumatic heart disease. Many children after they have recovered from rheumatic fever are given antibiotic treatments either on a monthly or daily basis sometimes for the remainder of their life since the threat is so great in coming down with it again. Each time a child has rheumatic fever the chances of rheumatic heart disease increases. The best prevention of rheumatic heart disease is to give your children the best medical care possible even if you only believe it is a sore throat. Even parents that have low income can take their children to free clinics or the health department for aid in preventing these types of illnesses. Remember, prevention is the best cure for rheumatic heart disease.
Jim Shaw 
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