Just earlier this month we raised the issue of rheumatic heart disease (RHD).
There are times when we ignore issues and become complacent.
Because of this, we sometimes get into trouble.
Then when we realise the trouble we have landed ourselves in, it can be too late sometimes.
In the face of this though sits the notion that awareness can contribute to early detection, especially when it comes to detecting sickness, and subsequently prevention.
At this time last year, Dylan Isireli remembered a sense of loss and uncertainty when he looked back at his journey living with RHD.
He remembered getting very sick as a child with fever and a very sore throat before he was diagnosed with acute rheumatic fever and started receiving benza injections every three weeks.
He was admitted in hospital for tests and was told that he had to take these injections for a long time. Doctors advised him to stop playing contact sports.
He loved playing rugby at the time.
He had to take monthly benzathine penicillin.
The treatment is designed to fight off the group A streptococcus bacteria that started off the cascade of events leading to acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease, and also prevented further heart valve damage.
When Erina Tokarua discovered her son, Walter Tokarua had RHD when he was five years old, she was shocked.
Ms Tokarua was among those who gathered at the My Suva Picnic Park on Saturday to commemorate World Heart Day and create awareness on the silent disease.
The thought that her son had RHD frightened her and her family.
They knew next to nothing about the sickness at the time.
Awareness has since left her with the assurance that there was hope, and her son needed to have his injections on time.
So what is RHD?
The RHD Global Status Report 2015-17 says it is a preventable disease that affects children and young people. While it has been eliminated in wealthy countries, it seems RHD is still common in Africa, Asia, and the Latin American and Pacific regions.
Thirty-two million people, the report suggests, around the world suffer from the condition which kills 275,000 people a year and is the most common acquired heart disease among children and young people in developing countries.
While RHD can affect a person’s life expectancy, the World Heart Federation says it can be prevented and controlled. It says rheumatic fever is caused by a preceding group A streptococcal (strep) infection.
Treating strep throat with antibiotics can prevent rheumatic fever.
Regular antibiotics (usually monthly injections), it says, can prevent patients with rheumatic fever from contracting further strep infections and causing progression of valve damage. It’s a beacon of hope for families.
As parents and guardians, we must be vigilant and proactive.
Let’s understand the disease, take precautions and refer loved ones with sore throats to the doctor as soon as possible.
Like cancer, early detection is important.
