Get to know rheumatic heart, a disease that attacks young people more often
Have you ever heard of the term rheumatic heart? Rheumatic heart disease is permanent damage to the heart valves due to rheumatic fever. This condition is more common in people under 25 years of age.
If not treated promptly, rheumatic heart disease can lead to lifelong disability or death. Based on WHO data, this disease has even claimed about 291,000 lives each year. So, what is the cause?
Causes of rheumatic heart
The cause of rheumatic heart is rheumatic fever. At first, you have a throat infection caused by the Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria. Transmission of this infection can occur through the droplets of an infected person or surfaces that have been contaminated with the bacteria.
Recurrent infections lead to rheumatic fever, which is an autoimmune inflammatory reaction that attacks many connective tissues, including the heart. As a result, the heart experiences inflammation and scar tissue formation.
This condition can …