According to the American Heart Association, rheumatic heart disease isn't so much of a disease as it is a complication. When someone gets rheumatic fever, it tends to inflame the connective tissue in the body. Nowhere is this more severe than in the heart. Rheumatic fever can damage the heart valves that pump blood through the heart. The condition, once present, can last a lifetime.
Cause
Rheumatic fever and the resultant rheumatic heart disease are caused by a virus known as group A streptococcus bacteria (strep). It is the most common bacterial infection of the throat. According to the Mayo Clinic, what triggers rheumatic fever in a case of strep isn't known. One idea is that the immune system can't differentiate between the protein in the bacteria that causes strep because it looks like normal tissue protein, so it attacks both and damages connective tissue, especially around the heart.
Symptoms
Because rheumatic fever is the direct cause of rheumatic heart disease, it's good to understand the signs and symptoms associated with the condition. Many of these like fever, swollen glands and fatigue are common with many types of fever. But, taken in concert with swollen joints, heart irregularity, chest pain, skin rashes, small, painful bumps under the skin and trouble breathing, you begin to see the tell-tale signs of rheumatic fever.
Prevention
If you don't want to get rheumatic heart disease, you need to stop rheumatic fever. To prevent rheumatic fever, you need to wipe out strep throat. Doctors commonly prescribe penicillin or other antibiotics. If you have previously had rheumatic fever, you odds of getting it again are higher. This is not to say that you will develop rheumatic heart disease. Many of those previously affected by rheumatic fever are given monthly antibiotics just to be safe.
