What are the most common complications of mitral stenosis due to rheumatic heart disease?

Rheumatic heart disease is mainly caused by mitral valve insufficiency or stenosis. If rheumatic heart disease is not discovered in time or is not properly cared for, it will easily lead to other complications. Pulmonary edema, arterial embolism, etc. are complications that may be caused by rheumatic heart disease.

Complication 1:

When the condition of patients with mitral stenosis worsens, they may develop acute pulmonary edema, and the mortality rate is very high. Patients with complications of acute pulmonary edema cough up pink foamy sputum, develop cyanosis, and can only sit up and cannot lie down, otherwise they will have difficulty breathing. They often wake up suddenly at night due to suffocation. Moist rales can be heard in both lungs, sometimes accompanied by asthma sounds caused by bronchiolar spasms, and a sense of impending death. Common risk factors include pregnancy, strenuous exercise, and emotional excitement.

Complication 2:

Patients with mitral rheumatic heart disease are prone to right heart failure, while patients with aortic rheumatic heart disease are prone to left heart failure and sudden death. Common symptoms of heart failure in patients with rheumatic heart disease include decreased activity tolerance, exertional palpitations, shortness of breath, and loss of appetite. As the disease progresses, they become unable to lie flat, cough up more sputum, sit up to breathe, are easily awakened from their sleep at night, and have edema in both lower limbs or sagging parts of the body. Some have pleural effusions and ascites, and may even die suddenly.

Complication three:

Atrial fibrillation is one of the most common complications in patients with rheumatic heart disease, with a prevalence rate of 60% to 70%. Symptoms include varying heart rates, ranging from 160 to 180 beats per minute when fast and 50 to 60 beats per minute when slow. Patients are often restless, have heart sounds of varying strengths, and have abnormal pulses.

Complication 4:

The left atrium is prone to thrombosis, and the thrombus can break off and enter the left ventricle, ascending aorta, systemic circulation, etc., causing embolism in the brain, heart, liver, kidneys, and limbs. Especially for patients with late-stage rheumatic heart disease who are bedridden for a long time, they may experience a series of pulmonary embolism symptoms such as sudden severe chest pain, profuse sweating, blood pressure that first rises and then falls, and difficulty breathing, and may even cause sudden death.