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Introduction

What is Rheumatic Heart Disease?
Rheumatic heart disease (RHD)is a heart disease that can primarily be caused by the reaction from the immune system to the bacteria Streptococcus, in Strep throat. MAyo Clinic Organisationhas defined Strep throat as a bacterial infection that can make your throat feel scratchy.(1) if Strep throat is left untreated it can causeRheumatic Fever and Rheumatic heart disease. To the heart tissue, RHD can cause inflammation and scarring t he heart tissue and can develop into cardic insufficiency, valve damage and stenosis.(2)

By Shantell Nyoni

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Rheumatic Heart Disease  By Yaa Donkor and Shinade Tyson

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Acute Rheumatic Heart Disease is a very significant helath condition that occurs all over the world, but mainly in developing countries. Acute Rheumatic Heart Disease is a postinfectious pharyngeal infection, initiated by the bacteria streptococcus Pyogenes. Although the incidence of RHD had decreased over the years in developing nations, it is estimated that there are 15 million cases of Rheumatic Heart Disease worldwide, with 233,000 deaths annually. The World Health Organisation (WHO) gathered trends and incidences of RHD over time and the countries this data was gathered were from Africa, the Americas, southeast Asis, Europe and eastern Meditarreanean.

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References

1. Mayo Clinic Organisation. (2019) Strep Throat [online] Available from : https:// www. mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/strep-throat/ symptoms-causes/syc-20350338 [accessed on 10.02.20]

2. Study.com. (2020) Rheumatic Heart Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and complications[online] Available from : https://study.com/academy/lesson/rheumatic- heart-disease-pathophysiology-diagnosis-complications.html [accessed on 10.02.20]

3. Rheumatic heart disease-attributable Mortality[online] [Accessed on  10.02.20]

4. Ratini M(2020) http://www.medicinenet.com [online] [accessed on 10.02.10]

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Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) is considered a major public health problem in developing countries.
Treatment:
If you are diagnosed with acute rheumatic fever you will be treated with antibiotics.
Anti-inflammatory medication such as aspirin or corticosteroids will be given to reduce inflammation to help manage acute rheumatic fever.
you may have to take low dosed of antibiotics ( such as penicillin, sulfadiazine, or erythromycin) over the long term to prevent strep throat from returning.
Therapy and medicinal designed may contribute to treatment.
Regular exercises and the healthy weight can help to improve signs and symptoms, which can lead to it remaining stable.
Expectations (prognosis)
Rheumatic fever is likely to come back in people who don't take low-dose of antibiotics continually, especially during the first 3-5 years after the first episode of the disease. Heart complications may be severe or escalate particularly if heart valve are involved. so a lot of precautions need to be adhered to get it controlled. The rheumatic fever will go resolve spontaneously within 12 weeks even if not treated, this is determined by how affected the heart is.
If left untreated rheumatic heart disease can lead to heart valve damage, stroke, heart failure and death.

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Rheumatic heart disease signs and symptoms varies from person o person and the symptoms usually start to become apparant within two weeks of an untreated streptococcus throat infection. Below is a list of signs and symptoms of Rheumatic Heart Disease:

Sore Throat

Children will have a fever

Generally feeling un well

Painful, swollen joints, e.g knee, ankle

Shortness of breath

short-lived skin rash

jerky movements

Small lumps under the skin

Chest pain

Written by Shinade Tyson

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Pathology Of Disease

An autoimmune reaction to rheumatic fever is the cause of RHD. The bodys immunesystem is trying to protect itself from disease or bacteria whether good or bad. The bacteria Streptococcal A, carries M proteins that are like cardiac antigens in the body that are similiar in structure and make. Examples of cardiacantigen: mosin ( for muscle contraction; pumping of blood through the body) and vavular endothelium ( contol vascular tone, swelling and blood clots). The autoimmune response begins with mistakenly destroying myosin and endothelium  with thoughts that its M- proteins in Streptococcal A.

By Shantell Nyoni

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Rheumatic Heart Disease