Rheumatic heart disease in children: Signs, treatment and prevention

Also known as acute rheumatism or rheumatic fever in children is also known as rheumatic heart disease. According to experts, this is an autoimmune inflammatory disease and has many potential risks if not treated properly.

Rheumatic heart disease in children is an infection and is also known as acute rheumatism or rheumatic fever. The disease also belongs to dangerous complications of sore throats due to when the baby has a group A streptococcal infection but it is not treated completely.

In this article, aFamilyToday Health provides you with useful information about this disease and notes in the care of sick children.

Subjects at risk of low heart rate

Rheumatic heart disease occurs most commonly in children between the ages of 5 and 15. This is especially true if the baby has frequent strep throat . In addition, this condition also appears due to genetic factors.

Signs of rheumatism in children that you can recognize

According to experts, arthritis is the first and most common symptom of rheumatism. You should pay attention to some unusual manifestations in the knee, ankle or wrist joint of the baby, such as painful swelling, red hot ...

In addition, parents should check for any subcutaneous nodules. In children with rheumatic heart disease often appear hard but painless nodules and can move around the joints or just above the joint.

Besides, when children have symptoms such as shortness of breath, fast heartbeat, disturbed heartbeat, parents should not take it lightly. Finally, some of the symptoms to watch out for include:

Fever

Rash

Stomachache

Epistaxis

Symptoms of the disease can be quite similar to other health conditions and cause confusion. Therefore, you should make sure your baby is carefully examined and examined by doctors if any of the above signs are present.

Diagnose the child with low heart rate

In addition to learning about the medical history, your doctor may perform certain tests to determine if your baby has rheumatism, such as:

Throat implants

ECG

Echocardiography

Blood test .

If not treated promptly, young children will experience dangerous complications in the heart, brain, joints or skin. Not to mention that your baby may develop other conditions, such as: heart failure, arrhythmia, stroke, even death.

Disease treatments

Rheumatic heart disease in children will need treatment with antibiotics, pain relief. Then, your baby will also be prescribed preventive drugs to make sure the streptococcal infection doesn't recur and damage the heart valves. When your child gets sick, parents should encourage them to get plenty of rest to quickly heal.

In the event that your baby's heart valve is affected or the heart is already strained due to the leaking blood, surgery may be required by your child's doctor to repair or replace the valve.

Notes on the care of children with rheumatism

In addition to adhering to the principles of treatment such as taking medications at the right dose and on time, taking proper care of sick children will help them recover quickly. Therefore, please:

Note in giving children rest

In case your child has difficulty breathing, turns purple after strenuous exercise: You need to let your child rest in a cool, quiet place to limit the body's oxygen demand, and at the same time notify the doctor for guidance. Timely card.

When your baby has difficulty breathing, a lot of cyanosis, you should regularly rest your baby in a half-sitting position (called the Foller position in medicine) to reduce the amount of blood stasis in the lungs.

Notes in eating

You need to feed your child with foods that are easy to digest but full of nutrients such as soups, porridge, milk ... to improve the body's resistance. Give your baby bland foods to limit the child's drinking plenty of water to reduce pressure on the circulatory system.

In addition, if your baby is an adult and prescribed diuretics, you should feed your child or drink potassium-rich fruit juices such as banana, papaya, watermelon , citrus, avocado, raisins or coconut water ... to compensate for the amount of potassium lost in the urine.

Note in child care 

During the child's illness, there must always be someone with them to take care of them to help them move, clean, eat ... conveniently. If your baby has symptoms of fever, sore throat due to an infection or tonsil, mothers need to monitor their child's temperature regularly, give them fever-reducing medicine if the temperature is above 38.5 ° C.

In parallel with the use of drugs and health care mentioned above, you should give your baby regular oral hygiene by rinsing with normal saline or brushing teeth after each meal. In addition, you need to pay attention to keep the baby from getting cold.

Prevention of rheumatism in children

Some of the preventive measures against rheumatism in children include:

Eat resistant foods

Keep the body and nose and throat clean regularly

On cold days, keep the neck, chest, nose and throat warm

Consult your doctor's advice on the form of low heart vaccination

If your baby has sore throat, tonsillitis or sinusitis, thoroughly treat the situation.