Heart Conditions in Adults - Rheumatic Heart Disease What is
rheumatic heart disease? Rheumatic heart disease is a condition
in which permanent damage to heart valves is caused by rheumatic
fever. The heart valve is damaged by a disease process that
generally begins with a strep throat caused by streptococcus A
bacteria, that may eventually cause rheumatic fever. The effects
of rheumatic fever: - Rheumatic fever, an inflammatory disease,
can affect many connective tissues, especially in the heart,
joints, skin, or brain. - Rheumatic fever can occur at any age,
but usually occurs in children five to 15 years old. - Rheumatic
fever causes heart damage - particularly scarring of the heart
valves - forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood and may
eventually cause congestive heart failure. What are the symptoms
of rheumatic fever? The following are the most common symptoms
for rheumatic fever; however, each individual may experience
symptoms differently. Symptoms, which vary greatly, typically
begin one to s