What are the signs of having rheumatic heart disease?

  Rheumatic heart disease is a cardiac lesion caused by rheumatic fever activity that involves the heart valves. The etiology is mainly due to group A hemolytic streptococcal infection and is an autoimmune disease. It manifests as lesions of one or more of the mitral, tricuspid, and aortic valves. It occurs mostly in winter and spring, in cold and humid environments, and the age of first onset is mostly in young adults.  The incidence of rheumatic heart valve disease accounts for about 50% of heart disease, the incidence of lesions involving each valve of the heart varies, according to the results of the study: mitral valve is 100%, of which the simple mitral valve lesion 46.7%, the highest proportion, and then the mitral valve combined with the aortic valve, simple aortic valve, tricuspid valve and pulmonary valve in that order. The lesions are mainly edema and exudation at the edges and base of the valve, and gradually expand to all of the valve, even involving the tendon and papillary muscle. As the lesion progresses, the various junctions of the valve begin to thicken and fuse, and in severe cases calcify, leading to stenosis or incomplete closure of the valve opening.  Valve stenosis: valve junction adhesions, thickening and hardening, inability to open completely, small valve opening, and obstruction to normal blood flow.  Valve closure insufficiency: the tendon and papillary muscles are enlarged, shortened, and hardened, the valve cannot close completely, and blood regurgitates.  Clinical manifestations of rheumatic heart valve disease: The disease is often asymptomatic at the beginning, and later manifests as panic and shortness of breath, weakness, cough, limb edema, cough, and hemoptysis until heart failure, causing life-threatening conditions.  Clinically, according to the degree of disease progression, there are mainly the following main manifestations: 1, palpitations and shortness of breath after activity, and even dyspnea, telescopic breathing, and inability to lie down at night; 2, coughing and coughing with blood after slight activity or exertion, and easily catching cold and flu; 3, loss of appetite, that is, eating badly for a period of time, gastrointestinal stasis may not be digested well, and stomach distension. Decreased urine volume, swelling of the lower limbs, abdominal distension, ascites, enlarged liver and spleen, etc.  4. The appearance of two cheekbones and lips are purplish red, that is, the “mitral face”.  Once the above-mentioned conditions usually appear, you should go to the local hospital this morning for examination, heart ultrasound examination can clarify the presence of rheumatic heart valve disease.