Valvular heart disease

 

Heart valve disorders can affect any of the valves in your heart. Your heart valves have flaps that open and close with each heartbeat, allowing blood to flow through the heart’s upper and lower chambers and to the rest of your body. The upper chambers of the heart are the atria, and the lower chambers of the heart are the ventricles.

Our heart has these four valves:

• The tricuspid valve, which is located between the right atrium and the right ventricle
• The pulmonary valve, which is located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery
• The mitral valve, which is located between the left atrium and the left ventricle
• The aortic valve, which is located between the left ventricle and the aorta 

Blood flows from the right and left atria through the tricuspid and mitral valves, which open to allow blood to flow into the right and left ventricles. These valves then close to prevent blood from flowing back into the atria.

 

Once the ventricles have filled with blood, they begin to contract, forcing the pulmonary and aortic valves to open. Blood then flows to the pulmonary artery and aorta. The pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs. The aorta, which is the body’s largest artery, carries oxygen-rich blood to the rest of your body.

 

The heart valves work by ensuring that blood flows in a forward direction and doesn’t back up or cause leakage. If you have a heart valve disorder, the valve is not able to do this job properly. This can be caused by a leakage of blood, which is called regurgitation, a narrowing of the valve opening, which is called stenosis, or a combination of regurgitation and stenosis.

 

Some people with a heart valve disorder may not have any symptoms, while others may experience conditions like strokes, heart attacks, and blood clots if the heart valve disorder goes untreated. 

 

Types of heart valve disorders

 

Mitral valve prolapse

A mitral valve prolapse is also called:

• floppy valve syndrome
• click-murmur syndrome
• balloon mitral valve
• Barlow’s syndrome 

It occurs when the mitral valve doesn’t close properly, sometimes causing blood to flow back into the left atrium.

 

Most people with mitral valve prolapse don’t have symptoms and don’t require treatment as a result. However, symptoms that indicate that treatment is necessary include:

• heart palpitations
• shortness of breath
• chest pain
• fatigue
• a cough 

Treatment involves surgery to repair or replace the mitral valve.

Bicuspid aortic valve disease

Bicuspid aortic valve disease occurs when a person is born with an aortic valve that has two flaps instead of the usual three. In very severe cases, the symptoms of this type of disorder are present at birth. However, some people may go decades without knowing they have this type of disorder. The valve is usually able to function for years without causing symptoms, so most people with bicuspid aortic valve disease aren’t diagnosed until adulthood.

 

The symptoms may include:

• shortness of breath with exertion
• chest pain
• dizziness
• fainting 

Most people are able to have their aortic valve repaired successfully with surgery. According to the Clinical study, 80 percent of people with this type of heart valve disorder will require surgery to repair or replace the valve. This typically happens when they’re in their 30s or 40s.

Valvular stenosis

Valvular stenosis occurs when a valve isn’t able to open completely, which means that not enough blood can flow through the valve. This can occur in any of the heart valves and may be caused by the heart valve thickening or stiffening.

 

The symptoms may include:

• chest pain
• shortness of breath
• fatigue
• dizziness
• fainting 

Some people don’t need treatment for valvular stenosis. Other people may need surgery to replace or repair the valve. Depending on the severity of your stenosis and your age, valvuloplasty, which uses a balloon to dilate the valve, may be an option.

Valvular regurgitation

Valvular regurgitation may be also called “leaky valve”. It occurs when any of the heart valves doesn’t close properly, causing blood to flow backward. The symptoms can include:

 

• Shortness of breath
• A cough
• Fatigue
• Heart palpitations
• Light-headedness
• Swelling of the feet and ankles 

The effects of valvular regurgitation vary depending on the person. Some people simply need to have their condition monitored. Others may need to have medication to prevent fluid buildup, while others require valve repair or replacement.

 

Symptoms of heart valve disorders

Symptoms of heart valve disorders vary depending on the severity of the disorder. Usually the presence of symptoms indicates that the disorder is affecting blood flow. Many individuals with mild or moderate heart valve disorders don’t experience any symptoms. However, signs and symptoms may include:

 

• shortness of breath
• heart palpitations
• fatigue
• chest pain
• dizziness
• fainting
• headaches
• a cough
• water retention, which can cause swelling in the lower extremities and abdomen
• pulmonary edema, which is caused by excess fluid in the lungs