What should I do if rheumatic heart disease catches a cold?

Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
Updated on May 12, 2025
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Patients with rheumatic heart disease, if they find they have caught a cold, should go to the hospital for an examination as soon as possible, including blood tests and an electrocardiogram. If a viral infection is suspected, antiviral treatment should be administered promptly. If a bacterial infection is suspected, antibiotics should be given promptly to control the infection. This can prevent the cold from turning into a lower respiratory tract infection or pneumonia. Because if a cold is not treated in time, it often can trigger an episode of heart failure in patients with rheumatic heart disease and can also lead to a further aggravation of rheumatic disease. Therefore, patients with rheumatic heart disease should prevent infections, and the use of long-acting penicillin once a month is very necessary.

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Can rheumatic heart disease with enlarged heart be treated with surgery?

Patients with rheumatic heart disease generally present with valvular insufficiency or severe stenosis. If the patient's heart is enlarged and the ejection fraction significantly decreases, for example, if the left ventricular diastolic diameter is greater than 75, and the ejection fraction is less than 30%, the surgical outcome may be poor. This is particularly the case if there is associated pulmonary arterial hypertension, which may lead to no improvement in condition after surgery, indicating a poor surgical outcome. However, if the patient has severe stenosis or insufficiency of the valve function, not performing surgery could further worsen the condition.

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What to do about rheumatic heart disease joint pain?

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.

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Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
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The causes of syncope in rheumatic heart disease.

The most common manifestation of rheumatic heart disease involves the mitral valve, leading to severe stenosis and insufficiency of the mitral valve, and decreasing the amount of blood returning to the heart. At this time, there is not enough blood returning to the heart, and naturally, the amount of blood pumped out is reduced. If it is extremely severe, it can lead to fainting; this is the first scenario. The second scenario is rheumatic heart disease affecting the aortic valve, which can also result in insufficient blood being pumped out, causing ischemia and hypoxia in the cerebral arteries, leading to fainting. Another situation is related to heart arrhythmias, which are divided into two types. One type occurs when rheumatic heart disease is very severe, potentially causing atrial fibrillation. Some patients with cardiac bypass might experience ventricular fibrillation, leading to fainting. Additionally, there is a scenario where severe rheumatic inflammation causes dysfunction in the heart's conduction system, leading to conditions similar to sick sinus syndrome or complete atrioventricular block, causing significantly slow heart rhythms, which may also lead to fainting.

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Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
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Which department should I visit for rheumatic heart disease?

Patients with rheumatic heart disease need to visit the department of cardiology for diagnosis and treatment. Rheumatic heart disease involves pathological changes in the heart valves and is considered a serious heart condition that can cause complications such as arrhythmias and heart failure, necessitating regular cardiology visits. For complications that arise, a comprehensive analysis is needed, followed by systemic treatment. These patients should rest regularly, properly use medications, adjust their heart rate, improve heart function, and enhance their quality of life.

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Written by Wang Lei
Cardiology
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Is rheumatic heart disease considered a serious illness?

In the case of rheumatic heart disease, it spans different stages of the disease. In its early stage, it can affect the heart valves to a certain extent. However, this impact may progressively worsen over time. Thus, the initial effects on the heart are not severe. Once it causes mitral valve regurgitation, patients often exhibit clear symptoms, such as chest tightness and shortness of breath after activity, and in severe cases, pulmonary edema, coughing, and expectoration of bloody sputum. Severe cases can lead to nocturnal insomnia and orthopnea, presenting with paroxysmal breathing difficulties. These symptoms indicate cardiac function failure, a serious condition. Therefore, inadequate or delayed treatment can be life-threatening.