Rheumatic heart disease is a serious resultant of rheumatic fever. Many health experts believe that it caused due to an autoimmune response of the body. However, the accurate pathogenesis is not known clearly. However, with improvements in the medical science, rheumatic fever and hence, rheumatic heart disease has come under control but is not abolished. But, in developing countries around the world, this disease still haunts many lives every year.

Rheumatic fever is caused from throat infection which are not treated properly and on time. The fever begins to show about 15 to 20 days after a strep throat infection of the patient. The fever brings about symptoms including an overall unwell feeling, fever and pain in the joints along with swelling in various parts of the body.

Apart from these, increased ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and leukocytosis, pain in the abdomen and nose bleed can also translate to rheumatic fever, thus paving way for rheumatic heart disease.

If any of the above symptoms are experienced by the patient, he should consult a doctor without delay. It has been studied that rheumatic heart disease is the main cause behind most of the cardiovascular deaths in people below 50 years of age and a native of the developing countries. Mostly, the children in their teens are likely to be hit by this disease.

The best possible way to avoid rheumatic heart disease is to prevent rheumatic fever by treating the strep throat infection with appropriate antibiotics in its initial stage. Benzyl penicillin is the most famous antidote of rheumatic fever.

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