Do people with rheumatic heart disease need to take medication regularly?

Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
Updated on December 20, 2024
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Patients with rheumatic heart disease should also maintain a light diet, especially avoiding spicy and irritating foods. It is important to monitor changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and pulse. If the heart rate is too fast or the blood pressure is high, it may sometimes be necessary to use medication for early intervention. Rheumatic heart disease mainly manifests as chest tightness and difficulty breathing, and sometimes it can also present as swelling of the lower limbs. With active treatment, these symptoms can normally be alleviated. It is also important to monitor changes in heart rate and pulse regularly. If there are any incidents or difficulty in breathing, it is necessary to go to the hospital for treatment. During this period, it is still important to educate patients to regularly and routinely take oral medications to improve heart function, which is beneficial.

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Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
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What should be avoided with rheumatic heart disease?

Patients with rheumatic heart disease should avoid overexertion and getting angry. Both overexertion and anger can increase the heart's burden, leading to a worsening of the heart disease. Patients should consume easily digestible foods and avoid spicy and greasy foods because these can cause indigestion or gastrointestinal symptoms, which in turn can increase the burden on the heart. A low-salt diet is also recommended; avoid eating overly salty dishes. Consuming foods high in salt can lead to retention of sodium and water in the blood, which increases the heart's burden, and in severe cases, can lead to heart failure.

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Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
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Is rheumatic heart disease hereditary?

Rheumatic heart disease is not hereditary, and it is not a genetic disease; it is not directly related to genetics. It is mainly due to an abnormal immune response caused by streptococcal infection, which leads to damage to the heart valves, resulting in stenosis and insufficiency of the heart valves. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of rheumatic heart disease. Very rare rheumatic streptococcal infections can be reduced by using effective antibiotics to control the streptococcal infection. Common diseases that cause streptococcal infections include tonsillitis and upper respiratory tract infections. Once tonsillitis or an upper respiratory tract infection occurs, effective antibiotics should be used to control the infection as soon as possible.

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Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
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Can rheumatic heart disease be cured?

There are many clinical treatment methods for rheumatic heart disease, which can improve the quality of life and clinical symptoms of patients with rheumatic heart disease through dietary therapy, but cannot cure it, as rheumatic heart disease involves pathological changes in the valves. Currently, surgery is commonly used in the clinic to treat rheumatic heart disease, to improve the patient's quality of life, enhance cardiac comfort, and improve heart function. Therefore, patients with rheumatic heart disease should not overly rely on folk remedies for a cure, need to pay attention to rest, avoid overexertion to prevent increasing the cardiac burden, and treatment should be under the guidance of a doctor, using different medications according to individual characteristics.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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What should I do if I have dizziness and nausea due to rheumatic heart disease?

If a patient with rheumatic heart disease experiences dizziness, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting, these symptoms require active management. The current treatment for rheumatic heart disease primarily focuses on symptomatic treatment. It also involves the use of medications that improve heart function and reduce cardiac load. This helps in controlling heart rate, blood pressure, and pulse changes, thereby alleviating symptoms. If a patient presents with dizziness, nausea, and vomiting, it could sometimes be due to insufficient cerebral arterial blood supply or ischemic cerebrovascular disease. In such cases, a head CT scan should be performed for a more definitive diagnosis. Treatment may include the use of vasodilators and other medications to improve circulation and provide symptomatic relief.

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Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
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What should I do about swollen feet caused by rheumatic heart disease?

Patients with rheumatic heart disease who experience swelling in their feet usually suffer from heart failure. First and foremost, it is important to rest and avoid excessive exertion to alleviate the burden on the heart, ensuring adequate sleep and relaxation, maintaining a pleasant mood, consuming easily digestible foods, and following a low-fat, low-salt diet, particularly avoiding high-sodium foods. Eating foods high in sodium can lead to water and sodium retention, which increases the burden on the heart and worsens swelling. In severe cases, it is necessary to use effective diuretic medications under the guidance of a doctor to reduce the cardiac load and eliminate fluid retention.