What is rheumatic heart disease? ... Rheumatic heart disease describes a group of short-term (acute) and long-term (chronic) heart disorders that are caused by ...HeartdiseaseConditionsA-ZRheumaticheartdiseaseHeartJumptoTypesRiskSymptomsDiagnosisTreatmentLivingwithRHDRelatedinfoShareFacebookTwitterEmailPrintWhatisrheumaticfever?Rheumaticfeverisaninflammatorydiseasethatcanbetriggeredbyastreptococcalbacterialinfection.Itusuallystartsoutasastrepthroatinfectionorscarletfeverthathasn’tbeentreatedwithantibiotics.Rheumaticfevercancauseinflammationofconnectivetissuesthroughoutthebodyincludingtheheart,joints,brainorskin.Whatisrheumaticheartdisease?Rheumaticheartdiseasedescribesagroupofshort-term(acute)andlong-term(chronic)heartdisordersthatarecausedbyrheumaticfever.Itusuallyoccurs10-20yearsaftertheinitialillness.Noteveryonewithrheumaticfeverwillgoontodeveloprheumaticheartdisease.TypesofrheumaticheartdiseaseEverypartoftheheartmaybedamagedbyinflammationcausedbyrheumaticfever.Thatincludestheoutersac(pericardium),theinnerlining(endocardium)andthevalves.Someheartproblemslinkedtorheumaticfeverare:valvularheartdiseasepericarditisendocarditisheartblockThemostcommonformofrheumaticheartdiseaseaffectstheheartvalves.Itmaytakeseveralyearsafteranepisodeofrheumaticfeverforvalvedamagetodeveloporsymptomstoappear.Althoughrheumaticfevercanaffectanyheartvalve,itmostcommonlyaffectsthemitralvalvewhichliesbetweenthetwochambersoftheleftsideoftheheart.Thedamagecancausevalvestenosis,valveregurgitationand/ordamagetotheheartmuscle.Valvestenosisoccurswhenthereisnarrowingofavalve,whichrestrictsbloodflow.Valveregurgitationiswhenbloodleaksbackwardthroughavalve,insteadoffollowingitsusualdirection.Theinflammationofrheumaticfevercandamagetheheartmuscleitself.Thedamagecanaffecttheheart’sabilitytopumpbloodeffectively.Intime,valvedisordersmayleadto atrialfibrillation or heartfailure. Whoisatrisk?Rheumaticfeverisrareindevelopedcountries,butoneCanadianstudyshowedthatpeoplelivingincertainIndigenouscommunitieshaveah