What to do about rheumatic heart disease joint pain?

Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
Updated on November 25, 2024
00:00
00:00

If the patient has a history of rheumatoid arthritis or rheumatic heart disease, symptomatic treatment is primarily used in their treatment. If the patient experiences joint pain, it is suggested that they can use some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to control their symptoms. Another approach is to recommend Chinese herbal medicine treatments, including acupuncture and massage to relieve joint pain. Since rheumatic heart disease mainly manifests as a cardiac condition, particularly when the patient experiences palpitations and chest tightness, it is crucial to actively manage these symptoms using cardioprotective drugs or positive inotropic drugs to improve cardiac function.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
59sec home-news-image

Can patients with rheumatic heart disease not drink a lot of water?

The early manifestations of rheumatic heart disease include rheumatic myocarditis or pericarditis, sometimes accompanied by significant pericardial effusion. In later stages, there may be thickening of the pericardium, presenting as constrictive pericarditis. Some patients may also develop severe mitral stenosis, aortic stenosis, or insufficiency. When the disease reaches a certain level of severity, the patient can experience cardiac failure and systemic sodium and water retention. In such cases, it becomes necessary to control water intake. Therefore, in the early stages of rheumatic heart disease when there is no cardiac failure, it is possible to drink more water. However, when patients experience severe cardiac failure, edema, and similar conditions, it is not advisable to drink excessive amounts of water.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
52sec home-news-image

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

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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
43sec home-news-image

Is the rheumatoid factor high in rheumatic heart disease?

If the patient has rheumatic heart disease, especially mitral regurgitation or mitral stenosis, this condition can occur. However, the rheumatoid factor may not necessarily be high, as the rheumatoid factor can lead to some cases of rheumatic heart disease, but it is not always elevated. Because this condition cannot be improved even with aggressive treatment, sometimes surgical treatment may still be needed. This is a type of congenital heart disease that can cause these conditions in patients. Rheumatic heart disease is mainly characterized by chest tightness, difficulty breathing, and a booming or mechanical murmur in the precordial area, all of which can occur, but the rheumatoid factor is not necessarily high.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Jia Qiu Ju
Cardiology
53sec home-news-image

Can rheumatic heart disease cause pain throughout the body?

Rheumatic heart disease itself does not cause generalized pain, but during the acute phase of rheumatic fever, generalized joint pain or fever-induced muscle soreness can occur due to the disease. Rheumatic heart disease arises when rheumatic fever affects the heart valves, leading to conditions such as stenosis and insufficiency. This typically affects the mitral and aortic valves but can also involve the tricuspid and pulmonary valves. Clinical symptoms of rheumatic heart disease primarily include heart dysfunction, chronic heart failure, or acute heart failure episodes, and can also present with arrhythmias, predominantly atrial fibrillation, which can lead to an enlargement of the atria and the formation of mural thrombi, resulting in thromboembolic complications.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
1min 7sec home-news-image

How to deal with a cold and fever in rheumatic heart disease?

Patients with rheumatic heart disease who catch a cold and develop a fever may experience a worsening of their existing rheumatic heart disease, with more severe mitral stenosis or regurgitation, and there could also be recurrent attacks of existing heart failure. Therefore, if a person with rheumatic heart disease catches a cold, it is crucial to seek medical treatment early and go for a hospital examination. If it is a viral infection, antiviral treatment should be given, and for bacterial infections, medications to control and kill bacteria should be administered. Furthermore, if there are repeated fevers during the treatment process, physical methods to reduce fever can be used, such as applying a cold cloth or ice pack to the head when the temperature is below 38°C, along with medication therapy using ibuprofen. In short, it is essential to treat colds and fevers early in patients with rheumatic heart disease. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a physician.)