{"id":18579,"date":"2026-02-07T10:49:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T05:19:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/?p=18579"},"modified":"2026-05-26T17:04:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T11:34:41","slug":"rheumatic-heart-disease-symptoms-causes-diagnosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/rheumatic-heart-disease-symptoms-causes-diagnosis\/","title":{"rendered":"Rheumatic Heart Disease: Symptoms, Causes and Diagnostic Tests"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"rheumatic<\/p>\n

Rheumatic heart disease is a preventable heart condition. It refers to damage to the heart valves caused by an untreated bacterial throat infection. The condition arises when the immune system<\/strong><\/a>, in response to rheumatic fever, mistakenly attacks the heart tissue. This article explains what rheumatic heart disease is, its common signs, main causes, and the tests used to diagnose it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is Rheumatic Heart Disease?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Rheumatic heart disease is a disorder in which the heart valves become scarred due to inflammation from rheumatic fever. This fever is caused by an untreated streptococcal infection, like strep throat or scarlet fever. Heart valves are flap-like structures that control the flow of blood inside the heart. The damaged valves become narrow or begin to leak, thereby increasing the heart’s workload in pumping blood. Once valve damage occurs, it does not heal and worsens over time.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What are the Rheumatic Heart Disease Symptoms?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Rheumatic heart disease symptoms can develop even several years after the initial infection. Some individuals may experience only mild symptoms for an extended period, whereas others may rapidly develop serious complications. The symptoms are:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Weakness and a lack of energy.<\/li>\n
  2. Shortness of breath<\/li>\n
  3. Swelling the feet, ankles, legs, or stomach<\/li>\n
  4. Experiencing discomfort or pain in the chest.<\/li>\n
  5. Having a rapid or irregular heartbeat.<\/li>\n
  6. Heart making murmur sounds (heard by doctors)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    What are the Rheumatic Heart Disease Causes?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Rheumatic heart disease mainly starts as a strep infection. It is a throat infection caused by the bacteria group A Streptococcus. When this infection is not properly treated with antibiotics, it can lead to rheumatic fever.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the human body tissues, including the heart. This immune response may result in damage to the heart valves. Repeated strep infections increase the severity of valve damage.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Lack of proper healthcare facilities, crowded living conditions, and delayed treatment are some factors that make the disease prevalent in some areas.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    What are the Complications of Rheumatic Heart Disease?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    When heart valves are damaged, it may result in:<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Valve narrowing (which causes difficulty in blood flow).<\/li>\n
    2. Valve leakage (where the blood flows backward).<\/li>\n
    3. Heart failure as the heart becomes exhausted from overwork.<\/li>\n
    4. Unstable heart rhythms that raise the risk of stroke.<\/li>\n
    5. Infection in damaged valves.<\/li>\n
    6. High pressure in the lungs<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Severe valve disease can be life-threatening if left untreated.<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      How is Rheumatic Heart Disease Diagnosed?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

      There are several tests for the heart that doctors use to diagnose rheumatic heart disease and assess the extent of valve damage. Important tests include:<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Physical examination and medical history:<\/strong> To check past episodes of strep throat or rheumatic fever<\/li>\n
      2. Echocardiogram: <\/strong>An ultrasound test that uses sound waves of high frequency to make images of the heart valves and the blood flow<\/li>\n
      3. Electrocardiogram<\/a> (ECG):<\/strong> records the heart’s electrical activity and identifies any abnormal heart rhythms<\/li>\n
      4. Chest X-ray<\/a>: <\/strong>To evaluate the size of the heart and look for any fluid in the lungs.<\/li>\n
      5. Blood tests:<\/strong> To detect signs of a previous streptococcal infection or inflammation.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

         <\/p>\n

        Among all these tests, the echocardiogram remains the most crucial for the identification of heart valve damage.<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

        How to Prevent Rheumatic Heart Disease?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

        Preventing the development of rheumatic heart disease largely depends on the immediate treatment of strep throat. A health professional can test for and prescribe the appropriate antibiotic, and completing the entire course of treatment stops rheumatic fever. Those who experience rheumatic fever frequently require periodic antibiotic injections or tablets to guard against repeated attacks.<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

        Enhancing housing conditions, proper hygiene, early healthcare, and community screening can effectively lower the number of cases. Regular heart examinations detect heart problems at an early stage, and hence, therapy can be initiated before the damage to the valve gets worse.<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

        It is important to visit a doctor immediately if a sore throat is accompanied by white patches on the throat, breathlessness, swelling, fainting, chest pain, or fever. The tests recommended by the doctor can be scheduled through the Dr Lal PathLabs app<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

        Frequently Asked Questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n
          \n
        1. What causes rheumatic heart disease?<\/strong>
          \nIt is caused by rheumatic fever, which may occur after an untreated or undertreated strep throat infection. In this fever, the body\u2019s immune system attacks and scars the heart valves.<\/li>\n
        2. How is rheumatic heart disease diagnosed?<\/strong>
          \nThe doctor performs several tests, such as a physical examination, blood tests, chest X-ray, ECG, and, most importantly, an echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) to confirm valve damage.<\/li>\n
        3. Can rheumatic heart disease be cured?<\/strong>
          \nThe damage caused by scarring to the valves is mostly permanent and hence cannot be completely cured. However, symptoms can be controlled, and quality of life improved with the use of medicines, procedures and valve repair or replacement.<\/li>\n
        4. How can rheumatic heart disease be treated?<\/strong>
          \nThe rheumatic heart disease treatment is recommended by a doctor after diagnosis and typically includes antibiotics to get rid of strep infection, medicines to treat heart symptoms, and, in some cases, procedures or surgery. Patients who previously suffered from rheumatic fever may require regular antibiotics to prevent further attacks.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Rheumatic heart disease is a preventable heart condition. It refers to damage to the heart valves caused by an untreated bacterial throat infection. The condition arises when the immune system, in response to rheumatic fever, mistakenly attacks the heart tissue. This article explains what rheumatic heart disease is, its common signs, main causes, and the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":19007,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":""},"categories":[1055],"tags":[3602,3606,3604,3605,3603],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18579"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18579"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18579\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19009,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18579\/revisions\/19009"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}