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

Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
Updated on December 04, 2024
00:00
00:00

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.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
34sec home-news-image

Can rheumatic heart disease cause fever?

Rheumatic heart disease, in the early stages of onset, can present with fever. The main cause of rheumatic heart disease is due to an infection with streptococcus that causes damage to the heart valves. Initially, bacterial infection is the most prominent clinical manifestation, with common diseases like tonsillitis. If effective medication is applied to control the infection at this time, it can reduce the occurrence of rheumatic heart disease. If not treated promptly, it can lead to damage to the heart valves, resulting in rheumatic heart disease.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
47sec home-news-image

Are the symptoms of rheumatic heart disease severe?

Rheumatic heart disease is a type of organic heart disease where the heart valves are damaged, leading to stenosis and insufficiency. Symptoms vary with the extent of the damage. Mild damage does not significantly alter hemodynamics, and there may be no clinical symptoms, allowing for unrestricted physical activity. Severe damage results in noticeable changes in hemodynamics, presenting with symptoms of heart failure such as coughing, expectoration, cyanosis, palpitations and shortness of breath after activity, swelling of the lower limbs, and indigestion among other signs of heart dysfunction. Early treatment is necessary to prevent worsening of heart failure and to safeguard the patient’s life.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
43sec home-news-image

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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
49sec home-news-image

Rheumatic heart disease can be relieved by massaging which areas?

Since rheumatic heart disease is a type of valvular disease, especially mitral regurgitation or mitral stenosis, these can lead to rheumatic heart disease. Pathological murmurs can also be heard in the precordial area. The treatment of rheumatic heart disease is primarily pharmacological. If the condition is severe, surgical treatment can be used, but massage is not recommended. Because sometimes massage can exacerbate symptoms and does not alleviate the patient's condition, I personally suggest that it is better not to massage. In treating rheumatic heart disease, if the condition is severe, or the defect area is relatively large, sometimes it is advisable to consider surgical treatment for the patient, but pharmacological treatment can also relieve symptoms.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Lei
Cardiology
54sec home-news-image

Can rheumatic heart disease be cured completely?

Rheumatic heart disease is primarily a specific type of valvular heart disease caused by the involvement of rheumatic fever affecting the heart valves. This disease can be alleviated through medication and surgical treatments. For asymptomatic rheumatic heart disease, special treatment is generally unnecessary. It is mainly important to avoid excessive fatigue and increased cardiac load. Additionally, avoiding getting a cold and preventing the activity of rheumatic fever are crucial. For cases of rheumatic heart disease that require surgical treatment, it is necessary to assess the heart's function and the condition of the valves to determine if there is an indication for surgery. Options may include mitral valvuloplasty or prosthetic valve replacement. These treatments can relieve the heart failure caused by this cardiac disease, but it is impossible to cure rheumatic heart disease through surgery.