Heart Disease

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Gum Diseases

2.82 Here is another reason to brush your teeth: poor dental hygiene boosts the risk of heart attacks and strokes, a pair of studies (2008) have reported. “Bacterial infections are an independent risk factor for heart diseases”, said Howard Jenkins of University of Bristol in Britain. “It does not matter how fit you are, you add to your chances of getting heart disease by having bad teeth”. There are upto 700 different bacteria in the human mouth. Failing to brush helps them flourish. Most bacteria are benign, and some are essential, a few can trigger a biological cascade leading to diseases of the arteries linked to heart attacks and strokes. Steve Kerrigan of Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin said, “When people with bleeding gum disease chewed foods, bacteria were released into their blood stream that could increase inflammation. Certain bacteria stick on to platelets causing them to clot and thus decreasing or stopping blood flow.”

Sore Throat and Rheumatic Fever

2.83 Normally faulty lifestyle and stress are supposed to be the underlying causes of cardiac disease. But an extensive research conducted by the Post Graduate Institute of Chandigarh reveals that sore throat and rheumatic fever are directly linked to heart disease in children. Next time your child complains of a sore throat, don’t take it lightly. A sore throat could lead to rheumatic fever, which is an inflammatory disease caused by group A streptococuss bacteria and even by viruses that do not normally pose a threat. The disease later can affect the heart, joints, brain or the skin.

2.84 When rheumatic fever causes permanent damage to the heart valves, it is called rheumatic heart disease (RHD). RHD continues to be the leading cause of cardiovascular death during the first five decades of life in the developing world. The symptoms of rheumatic fever usually appear about three weeks after the child gets infected. These include sudden onset of sore throat, pain on swallowing, unnecessary fatigue, shifting pain in joints, high fever, shortness of breath, chest pain, skin rashes, small and painless nodules under the skin.