Do u know the symptoms of rheumatic heart disease?
Rheumatic Signs and Symptoms Rheumatic heart disease is a complication of rheumatic fever in which the heart valves are damaged. Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that begins with a strep throat. It can affect connective tissue throughout the body, especially in the heart, joints, brain and skin. Although rheumatic fever can strike people of all ages, it is most common in children between 5 and 15 years old. The best way to prevent rheumatic fever is to treat strep throat with antibiotics. The symptoms of rheumatic heart disease vary and damage to the heart often is not readily noticeable. When symptoms do appear, they may depend on the extent and location of the heart damage. Typically, symptoms of rheumatic fever appear about two weeks after the onset of an untreated strep throat infection. Apart from the sore throat caused by the strep infection, children have a fever and feel ill. Commonly, the child will have a very painful, swollen and red joint — usually a large joint
