How a Common Sore Throat Can Trigger Serious Heart Disease

That painful sore throat you expect to disappear in a few days could, in some cases, set off an immune reaction that damages the heart, Dr Robert Mathenge has warned.

Dr Robert Mathenge said the link occurs when the body’s defence system, while fighting bacteria responsible for a throat infection, mistakenly turns against heart tissue.

Speaking during an interview on The People’s Breakfast, Mathenge explained that some of the bacteria have similarities to the inner lining of the heart, causing the antibodies produced to fight the infection to sometimes attack heart tissue as well.

How a Throat Infection Reaches the Heart

Mathenge said the body normally produces antibodies to eliminate bacteria during an infection. However, in some cases, those antibodies can mistake parts of the heart for the bacteria they are supposed to destroy.

“The antibodies now go fight the bacteria, but some others think, oh, there are other bacteria somewhere, so they also fight the inner lining of the heart and the damaged valves and all that,” he explained.

The immune reaction can lead to rheumatic fever, an inflammatory condition that can occur after a Group A streptococcal throat infection.

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When the heart is affected, inflammation can scar and damage its valves, eventually causing rheumatic heart disease.

Heart valves regulate the movement of blood through different chambers of the heart. Once damaged, they may not open or close properly, affecting how efficiently the heart pumps blood.

Severe rheumatic heart disease can eventually cause complications including heart failure.

Mathenge’s warning is particularly important for children, who are more commonly affected by rheumatic fever. WHO identifies the first episode of rheumatic fever as most commonly occurring among children aged 5 to 14.

Why Persistent Sore Throats Should Not Be Ignored

Mathenge said children presenting with severe sore throats and high fever should be assessed early instead of allowing the infection to persist.

“It’s very common in school children and young children,” he said, noting that the condition is more common up to about the age of 15.

He said early identification and treatment can help prevent the infection from progressing to complications affecting the heart.

“If they’re identified early, when they have high fever, severe sore throat and all that, they can be treated and it’s okay,” Mathenge said.

The risk arises when a bacterial throat infection is left untreated. According to WHO, prompt treatment of Group A streptococcal throat infections can prevent rheumatic fever and, in turn, reduce the risk of rheumatic heart disease.

Mathenge also linked prolonged infection to chronic inflammation, explaining that infections can send signals through the body and contribute to damage of the endothelium, the thin layer lining blood vessels.

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“You know, all these factors that I talked about, I think it’s good to tell you what they do. They damage what is called the endothelium,” he said.

While most sore throats are not linked to rheumatic heart disease, a bacterial Group A streptococcal infection is a recognised cause of rheumatic fever.

The resulting heart-valve damage can be permanent, making early attention to suspected bacterial throat infections particularly important in children.

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Dr Robert Mathenge explains how untreated bacterial throat infections can trigger an immune reaction that damages the heart valves during an interview on The People’s Breakfast Friday, October 1, 2026. PHOTO/ Radio Generation.