Rheumatic heart valve disease is a group of valve diseases caused by pathological changes of heart valves after infection with Streptococcus haemolyticus type A. It mostly develops in young adults and is a common heart disease in China. The most common is mitral stenosis and/or insufficiency, followed by aortic stenosis and/or insufficiency, and less common is tricuspid stenosis and/or insufficiency. In order to enhance the understanding of rheumatic heart valve disease, an overview of rheumatic heart valve disease is given from its etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. I. Etiology Patients with rheumatic heart valve disease generally have a history of rheumatic fever, such as rheumatic pharyngitis, rheumatic arthritis, rheumatic myocarditis, and so on. The causative microorganism is Streptococcus haemolyticus type A. The disease is more likely to develop in areas with backward economy, low living standard and poor sanitary conditions. Clinical manifestations The clinical manifestations of the disease vary depending on the type of disease. The most common symptoms are post-activity panic, shortness of breath, chest tightness, recurrent cough and dizziness. In severe cases, there are hemoptysis, syncope, precordial pain, floating seeds, ascites, etc. Late stage patients may die suddenly due to left or right heart failure or cardiac arrest. Diagnosis The patient has a previous history of rheumatic fever. Heart murmur can be heard in the precordial region on physical examination. Anti-streptococcal hemolysin “O” (anti-O), C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and other laboratory tests are helpful for diagnosis. Electrocardiogram, X-ray chest plain film, cardiac echocardiography and color Doppler examination can clarify the diagnosis. Treatment Rheumatic valve disease is mostly asymptomatic in the early stage, and some patients are found to have the disease only during physical examination. If patients have symptoms, they should immediately go to a specialist hospital, and those with milder conditions can take oral cardiotonic, diuretic and potassium-replenishing, vasodilatory and other symptomatic drugs. If drug therapy is ineffective, surgical treatment is required, including valvuloplasty and valve replacement, and valvuloplasty is feasible for those with mild pathological changes, while valve replacement is required for those with heavy pathological changes. Balloon valve dilatation is feasible in a small number of patients with mitral stenosis. If the patient is in the acute phase of rheumatic fever, it is necessary to combine anti-rheumatic therapy, such as intramuscular injection of benzathine penicillin, intramuscular injection or static injection of penicillin, penicillin allergy can be oral erythromycin and other measures. Prevention As rheumatic fever is mostly caused by infection with Streptococcus haemolyticus type A when human resistance is low. Therefore, it is very helpful to prevent the disease by strengthening physical exercise, increasing physical fitness, living a regular life and not smoking, and paying attention to wearing clothes and quilts to keep warm when the weather is cool. Regular medical checkups are also helpful for early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment of the disease. Once rheumatic fever is diagnosed, it should be treated immediately with benzathine penicillin, penicillin, erythromycin, etc. in a specialized hospital.