Heart valve illustration. natura.com
Merdeka.com – Heart valves have flaps that open and close with each heartbeat, allowing blood to flow through the upper and lower chambers of the heart and throughout the body. The upper chambers of the heart are the atria and the lower chambers of the heart are the ventricles.
The heart itself has 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; and the aortic valve, which is located between the left ventricle and the aorta.
Heart valves work by ensuring that blood flows forwards and not backwards and mixes oxygen-poor blood with oxygen-rich blood. Continuous one-way blood flow delivers oxygen throughout the body.
Disease heart valve occurs when one or more heart valves do not open or close properly. When it affects more than one heart valve, the condition is called multiple heart valve disease.
Heart valve disease can be classified as a mild, moderate, or severe condition. Furthermore, this disease can also cause an enlarged heart or heart failure.
In the following article we will talk about the causes of heart valve disease and the symptoms that can appear.
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Causes of heart valve diseases
We have four heart valves that keep blood flow in the right direction. Each valve has a flap (package insert) that opens and closes once per heartbeat. If one or more valves do not open or close properly, blood flow through the heart to the body can be interrupted.
Quoted from mayoclinic.org, heart valve disease can be present from birth (congenital) or can also occur as an adult because the cause is many conditions, such as infections and other heart conditions.
Heart valve disease problems include:
- regurgitation. The valve caps do not close properly, causing blood to leak back into the heart. This usually occurs because the valve cover protrudes backwards, a condition called prolapse.
- Stenosis. The valve caps become thick or stiff and also stick together. This causes the valve opening to narrow and reduces blood flow through the valve.
- atresia. The valves fail to form and sheets of dense tissue block the flow of blood between the chambers of the heart.
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Risk factor
Several factors can increase the risk of valvular heart disease, such as:
- old age
- History of certain infections that can affect the heart
- History of some forms of heart disease or heart attack
- High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and other risk factors for heart disease
- Heart disease at birth (congenital heart disease)
Symptoms of heart valve disease
Some people with valvular heart disease may have no symptoms for years. When signs and symptoms appear, they may appear to be:
- Wheezing sound (heart murmur) when the doctor listens to the heart with a stethoscope
- Chest pain
- Abdominal bloating (more common with advanced tricuspid regurgitation)
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath, especially when active or lying down
- Swelling of the ankle
- Make you dizzy
- Faint
- Irregular heartbeat
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Treatment of heart valve diseases
Treatment for valvular heart disease depends on the symptoms and severity of the condition. Treatment may include monitoring your condition with regular follow-up visits. You may be asked to:
- Make healthy lifestyle changes
- Take medications to treat symptoms
- Take blood thinners to reduce the risk of blood clots if you have an irregular heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation
- Surgery or other procedures
Heart valve surgery may be needed to repair or replace diseased heart valves even if you have no symptoms. If surgery is needed for another heart condition, the doctor can repair or replace the diseased valve at the same time.
Heart valve surgery is usually done through an incision (incision) in the chest. Doctors sometimes perform minimally invasive heart surgery, which involves smaller incisions than those made for open heart surgery. Surgical options include valve repair or replacement.
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Heart valve repair
Your doctor may recommend heart valve repair to protect the heart valves. To repair the heart valves, the surgeon can:
- Patch the hole in the valve
- Separate the valve blades that have melted
- Removes excess valve tissue so the valve can close tightly
The surgeon will tighten or strengthen the ring around the valve (annulus) by implanting an artificial ring. In some cases, doctors use a less invasive procedure to repair some valves using a long, thin tube (catheter). This procedure may involve the use of clips, plugs, or other devices.
Heart valve replacement
If the valve cannot be repaired, the surgeon can remove the damaged valve and replace it with a mechanical valve or a valve made from bovine, porcine, or human heart tissue (biological or tissue valve).
If you have a valve replacement with a mechanical valve, you will need to take blood thinners for life to prevent blood clots. Valves in biological tissues can wear out over time and usually need to be replaced.
A minimally invasive procedure called transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) can be used to replace a damaged aortic valve. In this procedure, the doctor inserts a long, thin tube (catheter) into an artery in the leg or chest and directs it to a heart valve. This replacement valve is moved through the catheter to the correct position.
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