1. Strep Causes Heart Disease
Rheumatic heart disease is an inflammatory condition that damages the heart valves as a result of rheumatic fever. Complications of strep throat from a streptococcal infection cause rheumatic fever. Although rheumatic fever is rare in the United States, children between the ages of 5 and 15 are at the highest risk if they have strep infections that were improperly treated or left untreated. Damaged or scarred heart valves eventually lead to congestive heart failure, which impairs the heart's ability to pump blood throughout the body.
2. Watch for Symptoms
To prevent rheumatic heart disease from advancing, you must note the symptoms of rheumatic fever. Symptoms appear 1 to 6 weeks after battling strep throat. However, you can avoid the complications if you had a mild case of strep that was treated early. Consult your primary care physician if you or your child has a high fever, a red, raised rash on the abdomen, chest or back, weakness or shortness of breath and hard bumps under the skin. Swelling of multiple joints, jerky movements in the arms or legs, weight loss and stomach pain are all signs of rheumatic fever.
3. Prevention Is the Ultimate Treatment
The best way to treat rheumatic heart disease is to seek adequate and early treatment for strep throat. If rheumatic heart disease and other complications arise, however, the physician will outline a treatment plan based on your medical history and health, the severity of the illness and whether you can tolerate specific medications, therapies or other procedures. Antibiotics or penicillin effectively treat strep throat and stop rheumatic fever from developing, which also reduces the chance of developing rheumatic heart disease. If you've suffered rheumatic fever, then you must receive daily or monthly antibiotic therapy. Such therapy prevents future fever outbreaks and reduces the chance of forming rheumatic heart disease.
4. What if Damage Is Already Present?
In severe cases, patients with constant bouts of strep throat or rheumatic fever may have developed rheumatic heart disease or endocarditis, which is an infection of the heart valves and heart lining. Physicians order bed rest and anti-inflammatory medications as treatment. Antibiotics treat strep, while heart medications are administered for congestive heart failure. Heart valve repair or replacement surgery is the last resort if the heart disease worsens.
