Rheumatic Heart Disease
Rheumatic heart disease results as a complication of rheumatic fever: an inflammatory disease that can result from untreated strep throat. Strep throat is an infection caused by the presence of streptococcal bacteria. Strep throat is the most common cause of sore throat in young people and requires proper diagnosis by a doctor and treatment with antibiotics. This condition is rare in the US but is common in developing countries where access to medicine is limited.
Atrial fibrillation develops from rheumatic heart disease as a result of chronic inflammation of the heart, which causes permanent damage of the mitral valve, which is located between the two left chambers of the heart.
