Recommendations / 01/12/2019

Can rheumatic fever cause leaky heart valves?

How does rheumatic fever damage the heart? This infection causes swelling and muscle damage to the heart. It can also damage the heart valves in a way that keeps the blood from moving through the heart normally. The infection can cause heart valve leaflets to stick together, which narrows the valve opening.

Which heart valve is most commonly affected by rheumatic fever?

Although rheumatic fever can affect any heart valve, it most commonly affects the mitral valve which lies between the two chambers of the left side of the heart. The damage can cause valve stenosis, valve regurgitation and/or damage to the heart muscle.

What heart valve does rheumatic fever affect?

It usually occurs 10 to 20 years after the original illness, but severe cases of rheumatic fever can cause damage to the heart valves while your child still has symptoms. Problems are most common with the valve between the two left chambers of the heart (mitral valve), but the other valves can be affected.

What is the most commonly damaged heart valve?

Any valve in the heart can become diseased, but the aortic valve is most commonly affected. Diseased valves can become “leaky” where they don’t completely close; this is called regurgitation.

Can a leaky heart valve cause congestive heart failure?

Frequently, a leaky heart valve causes no symptoms. Many healthy people have one or more valves that are slightly leaky. If the heart valve leak is severe, it may impair the forward flow of blood. This can cause symptoms of congestive heart failure, which include:

What are the causes of heart valve disease in women?

Women and Heart Valve Disease. Rheumatic fever in childhood used to be the major cause of valve disease in women. Today, rheumatic fever is rare in developed countries, and calcification of the valve or a weakening of the valve tissue with aging are now the most common causes of valve disease.

What’s the life expectancy of a leaking heart valve?

In some patients, a leaky heart valve remains in the same condition lifelong, not causing any trouble; while in some it may develop rapidly leading to heart failure. Therefore, it can be said that life expectancy with leaking heart valves is quite relative and can vary from person to person.

When does heart valve disease start in the elderly?

Heart Valve Disease in the Elderly. Dysfunction of these valves prevents proper blood flow through the heart and results in heart valve disease. The condition often starts earlier in life, sometimes as early as childhood, but more common types only pose a major problem in the later years of life.

When does rheumatic fever damage the heart valves?

What is rheumatic heart disease? Rheumatic heart disease is a condition in which the heart valves have been permanently damaged by rheumatic fever. The heart valve damage may start shortly after untreated or under-treated streptococcal infection such as strep throat or scarlet fever.

What are the complications of rheumatic fever ( RF )?

What Are The Complications? According to the Mayo Clinic, untreated Rheumatic Fever can cause permanent damage to the heart valves and even lead to heart failure. More than half of the time, RF leads to scarring of the heart’s valves.