Causes, symptoms and treatment of heart rheumatism
Content:
- What is rheumatism of the heart?
- Symptoms of rheumatism of the heart
- Causes of rheumatism of the heart
- Treatment of rheumatism of the heart
- Prevention of rheumatism of the heart
What is rheumatism of the heart?
Rheumatism of the heart is an inflammation of the wall of an organ or its individual layers, which occurs as a result of a complication of streptococcal infection. Mostly, there is a mixed lesion of the myocardium and endocardium at the same time, although sometimes rheumatism affects a specific area separately: the heart bag, muscle or walls of the chamber and valves.
Most often, the disease affects young people and children. Although in developed countries in recent years there has been a noticeable trend towards a decrease in the incidence of rheumatism of the heart.
Symptoms of rheumatism of the heart
Among the symptoms that indicate the development of the disease, the following signs can be distinguished:
- The presence of passing pain in the joints.
- Increase in body temperature to high values.
- The appearance of weakness and loss of appetite.
- Pain in the heart. As a rule, their intensity is low.
- Increased heart rate, signs of arrhythmia and tachycardia.
- Symptoms of heart failure, among which one can distinguish swelling of the lower extremities, shortness of breath with minimal physical exertion, blue tip of the nose and fingers, the appearance of a wet cough, an increase in liver size.
The clinical picture is determined by an increase in neutrophils and ESR, an increase in antigens of streptococcal infection. Recently, doctors have noted a tendency that during rheumatism of the heart the symptoms are hidden. At the same time, the body temperature remains normal, or rises slightly, there are no pains in the heart and joints. Therefore, it is possible to suspect the disease only with the development of heart failure and with an increase in the size of the heart.
Causes of rheumatism of the heart
The triggering factors for the development of the disease include:
- Ingestion of hemolytic streptococcus, which causes diseases such as pharyngitis, tonsillitis, sore throat, scarlet fever. In this case, rheumatism of the heart is a complication of streptococcal infection.
- Reducing the body's defenses and its inability to resist aggressors.
- Hereditary predisposition to the development of the disease. It is known that streptococcal infection complicates more often in those families where the closest relatives had cases of rheumatism.
Treatment of rheumatism of the heart
All therapeutic measures aimed at eliminating the disease are carried out in a hospital setting. To eliminate the signs of rheumatism of the heart, complex therapy is used, which includes the use of antibacterial agents and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Acute phase treatment
- When the disease is in the acute phase, the patient is injected with penicillin in a certain dosage for two weeks. After that, bicillin is prescribed at intervals - 2 times a week until discharge from the hospital.
- If the patient is unable to tolerate penicillin drugs due to an allergic reaction, then he is shown the introduction of erythromycin. Also, therapy is supplemented by the intake of glucocorticosteroids, unless rheumatism is in the stage of minimal activity.
- As for drugs to eliminate the inflammatory process, the patient is prescribed acetylsalicylic acid or similar drugs.
- In addition, NSAIDs are indicated. Treatment for acute rheumatism lasts for a month, and for subacute 2 months.
Treatment of protracted rheumatism of the heart
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If rheumatism of the heart does not respond well to therapeutic effects and becomes protracted, then the patient is injected with drugs such as delagil or plaquenil. They are able to help even with recurrent forms of the disease. The course of taking these drugs of the quinoline series is long and should be at least a year, and sometimes two years.
- When the classic remedies for rheumatism are ineffective, then immunosuppressants are used, including: azothyropine, chlorobutin and others. In this case, strict medical supervision with daily blood sampling is required.
- If it is necessary to administer gamma-globulin drugs, desensitizing agents should be prescribed in parallel, such as: diazolin, tavegil, diphenhydramine. However, this scheme is not used if severe cardiac disorders are observed. With a similar course of the disease, it is advisable to prescribe diuretics and cardiac glycosides.
The patient should take vitamin complexes, with an emphasis on ascorbic acid and rutin.
A complete treatment of rheumatism of the heart is impossible without physiotherapy. The most popular are mud baths, medicinal waters, ultraviolet irradiation, antibiotic electrophoresis. If the disease forces the patient to remain bedridden for a long time, then he needs a massage. This will improve blood circulation and quickly relieve the inflammation from the joints that accompanies rheumatism.
After the patient is discharged from the hospital and the rheumatism of the heart goes into an inactive phase, he will need to undergo a course of sanitary treatment. In addition, for the first two months, the patient is prescribed aspirin, and then for the same period - brufen. After, for six months, the person takes indomethacin. If necessary, the therapeutic regimen is supplemented by the intake of antibacterial, vitamin and desensitizing agents.
On the subject: 5 most powerful remedies for rheumatism
Prevention of rheumatism of the heart
Preventive measures to prevent the development of the disease include:
- Frequent airing of premises;
- Stay in the fresh air;
- Proper nutrition;
- Hardening procedures;
- Isolation of a patient with suspected streptococcal infection;
- Observing people in contact with infected hemolytic streptococcus;
- Elimination of all foci of infection, especially for the nasopharynx;
- Careful observation of children in whose family there were cases of rheumatism of the heart.
This will avoid the development of the disease and minimize the risk of possible complications.
Author of the article: Kaplan Alexander Sergeevich | Orthopedist
Education: diploma in the specialty "General Medicine" received in 2009 at the Medical Academy. I. M. Sechenov. In 2012 completed postgraduate studies in Traumatology and Orthopedics at the City Clinical Hospital named after Botkin at the Department of Traumatology, Orthopedics and Disaster Surgery.
