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Figure 1. Valvular heart disease is when any valve in the heart has damage or is diseased. What is valvular heart disease?Valvular heart disease is when any valve in the heart has damage or is diseased. There are several causes of valve disease.
The valves open and close to control or regulate the blood flowing into the heart and then away from the heart. Three of the heart valves are composed of three leaflets or flaps that work together to open and close to allow blood to flow across the opening. The mitral valve only has two leaflets (Figure 2). Healthy heart valve leaflets are able to fully open and close the valve during the heartbeat, but diseased valves might not fully open and close. Any valve in the heart can become diseased, but the aortic valve is most commonly affected. Diseased valves can become “leaky” where they don’t completely close; this is called regurgitation. If this happens, blood leaks back into the chamber that it came from and not enough blood can be pushed forward through the heart. Figure 2. Diseased heart valves might not fully open and close. Any valve in the heart can become diseased, but the aortic valve is most commonly affected. The other common type of heart valve condition happens when the opening of the valve is narrowed and stiff and the valve is not able to open fully when blood is trying to pass through; this is called stenosis (Figure 2). Sometimes the valve may be missing a leaflet—this more commonly involves the aortic valve. If the heart valves are diseased, the heart can’t effectively pump blood throughout the body and has to work harder to pump, either while the blood is leaking back into the chamber or against a narrowed opening. This can lead to heart failure, sudden cardiac arrest (when the heart stops beating), and death. Facts About Valvular Heart Disease
Figure 3 What causes valvular heart disease?There are several causes of valvular heart disease, including congenital conditions (being born with it), infections, degenerative conditions (wearing out with age), and conditions linked to other types of heart disease.
What are the symptoms of valvular heart disease?Heart valve disease can develop quickly or over a long period. When valve disease develops more slowly, there may be no symptoms until the condition is quite advanced. When it develops more suddenly, people may experience the following symptoms:
How is valvular heart disease diagnosed?The doctor may hear a heart murmur (an unusual sound) when listening to your heartbeat. Depending on the location of the murmur, how it sounds, and its rhythm, the doctor may be able to determine which valve is affected and what type of problem it is (regurgitation or stenosis). A doctor may also use an echocardiography, a test that uses sound waves to create a movie of the valves to see if they are working correctly. How is valvular heart disease treated?If the condition isn’t too severe, it might be managed with medicines to treat the symptoms. If the valve is more seriously diseased and causing more severe symptoms, surgery may be recommended. The type of surgery will depend on the valve involved and the cause of the disease. For some conditions, the valve will need to be replaced by either opening the heart during surgery or replacing the valve without having to open the heart during surgery. References
What is the treatment for mitral valve disease?Valvuloplasty. This catheter procedure is used to repair a mitral valve with a narrowed opening. Valvuloplasty might be done even if you don't have symptoms. The surgeon inserts a catheter with a balloon on the tip into an artery in the arm or groin and guides the catheter to the mitral valve.
What is the standard treatment for rheumatic heart disease?How is rheumatic heart disease treated? There is no cure for rheumatic heart disease and the damage to the heart valves are permanent. Patients with severe rheumatic heart disease will often require surgery to replace or repair the damages valve or valves.
How do you treat mitral and tricuspid regurgitation?Your health care provider may prescribe medications to control symptoms or to treat an underlying condition that is causing tricuspid regurgitation.. Drugs to remove extra fluids from the body (diuretics). Drugs to control irregular heartbeats (anti-arrhythmics). Other drugs to treat or control heart failure.. What is the treatment for tricuspid valve regurgitation?Tricuspid valve surgical repair or replacement is recommended for patients with severe TR who are undergoing left-sided valve surgery. 2. Tricuspid valve surgical repair or replacement can be beneficial for patients with symptoms and signs due to severe TR that are unresponsive to medical therapy.
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