RHD Full Form

The full form of RHD is Rheumatic Heart Disease which occurs due to complications in rheumatic fever and affects the heart valves. Rheumatic heart disease is a serious heart disease that eventually damages one or more of the four small heart valves. RHD is an after-effect of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) resulting in swelling of the heart valve tissue, and sometimes the heart lining or muscle. This condition of swollen heart tissues and muscles is called carditis. 

RHD is a serious health condition as it can cause an interruption in normal blood flow due to the damaged valves. In many cases, blood tends to flow backwards due to a leaky valve that does not close properly or might get blocked due to a tight, scarred valve that does not open properly. Thus, the heart valve does not function adequately and result in heart failure and death if left untreated.  It affects the body’s connective tissue, particularly in the heart, brain, joints, and skin. It is very essential to undergo proper heart surgery to repair or replace the damaged valve. 

On this page, we have provided information on RHD full form, i.e., Rheumatic Heart Disease and its causes and symptoms. 

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Causes of Rheumatic Heart Disease

Rheumatic heart disease (which is the full form of RHD) is a serious disease of the heart affecting the valves and heart tissues. The disease starts as a sore throat infection that occurs from a bacterium called Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus). This infection is similar to other respiratory tract infection and can easily pass from person to person. Infections caused by Streptococcus are common mostly during childhood.

It has been found that in some cases, the repeated streptococcus infections causes the immune system to react against the body tissues which leads to inflammation and scarring of the heart valves. This condition is known as rheumatic fever. Thus, Rheumatic heart disease or RHD occurs from the inflammation and scarring of heart valves caused during rheumatic fever.

During the process of infection, antibodies are produced by our body to fight against Streptococcus pyogenes. These antibodies are responsible for causing inflammation of the heart valves and result in RHD. They also affect several connective tissues of our body like the brain, joints and skin and show the associated symptoms.

Symptoms of Rheumatic Heart Disease

Some of The Common Symptoms of Rheumatic Heart Disease Are Given Below:

• Fever

• Painful joints can be felt around the knee ankles, elbows and wrists

• Movable joint pains

• Fatigue

• Occurrence of painless nodules or skin rashes (consisting of pink rings with a clear centre) mostly around the joints.  

Apart from these, we must also be aware of the below-mentioned symptoms of heart valve damage. These symptoms are associated with Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD).

• Chest pain followed by a discomfort

• Tiredness

• Heart Palpitations

• Shortness of breath occurs during sleep or on exertion

• Swollen feet, stomach and hands

RHD Treatments

The treatment for Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) mostly depends on the following factors:

• The extent of the disease.

• The medical history of the patients along with their age and overall health.

• A patient’s level of tolerance against specific medications and therapies.

Although there is no permanent cure for rheumatic heart disease, patients having a severe case of RHD have to undergo surgery to replace or repair the damaged valves. Depending on the severity level, some medication may also be required for treating the heart rhythm abnormalities. These medications aids in blood thinning and reduces the risk of blood clots. The strategy to prevent RHD is by preventing the occurrence of streptococcal infection (the main cause of Rheumatic fever. One of the common examples of antibiotic treatment which is found effective against Streptococcal infection is benzathine penicillin G. This antibiotic is given every 3-4 weeks over many years in the form of intramuscular injection. However, in serious cases, it is highly recommended to undergo heart surgery in order to repair or replace the heart valves. 

Conclusion

Rheumatic fever and RHD are endemic heart diseases that are mostly seen to affect children and adolescents. They are also a major reason for heart disease found in pregnant women. Therefore, they result in significant maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Pregnant women having RHD are vulnerable to adverse outcomes such as heart arrhythmias and heart failure. It occurs as a result of increased blood volume which eventually creates more pressure on the heart valves.