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| Valve Disease |
Blood is pumped through your heart only one direction. Heart valves play a key role in blood flow in one direction, opens and closes with each heartbeat. Pressure changes behind and in front of the valve allows them to open their flap-like "door" (called valves or leaflets) at the appropriate time, then close them tightly to prevent backflow of blood.
There are 4 valves in the heart:
- Tricuspid valve
- Pulmonary valve
- Mitral valve
- Aortic valve
Oxygen-rich blood returning from the lungs flows into the upper-left chamber (left atrium). Blood is forced through the mitral valve into the lower-left chamber (left ventricle)-with mitral valve sealing off to stop the backflow of blood. At the same time that the right ventricle pumps blood without oxygen to the lungs, the foyer is to push the blood through the aortic valve and oxygen to all organs of the body.
Two types of problems can disrupt blood flow though the valves: regurgitation or stenosis.
Regurgitation is also called the lack or inability. Regurgitation occurs when a valve does not close properly and blood leaks backward rather than moving in the right flow one way. If too much blood flows backward, only a small number are able to travel forward to the organs of your body. Your heart tries to make up for it by working harder, but with time your heart will become enlarged (dilated) and less able to pump blood through your body.
Stenosis occurs when the leaflets do not open wide enough and only a small amount of blood can flow through the valve. Stenosis occurs when the leaflets thickened, stiff, or fuse together. Because the valve narrows, your heart must work harder to move blood through your body.
What causes valve disease?
Before doctors began giving their patients antibiotics, rheumatic fever is the largest cause of valve disease. Currently, the cause of valve disease most likely associated with one of the following:
- A weakening of the valve tissue caused by energy changes in the body. This is called myxomatous degeneration. It happens most often in elderly patients and commonly affects the mitral valve.
- A buildup of calcium in the aortic or mitral valve, which causes the valve to thicken. This is called calcific degeneration.
- An irregularly shaped aortic valve or mitral valve narrowing. This is usually a congenital defect, which means that most people who have it are born with it.
- The use of anti-obesity drug fen-phen and Redux, which are removed from the market after the valve is associated with heart disease.
- Infection of heart lining and valves (endocardium that). This is called infective endocarditis.
- Coronary artery disease.
- Heart Attack
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms depend on the patient and the type and severity of valve disease. Some patients have no symptoms at all. In other cases, valve disease may take the victim for many years. In time, patients can develop congestive heart failure. Also, valve disease can cause heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy), an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), and blood clotting.
How is valve disease diagnosed?
Your doctor can tell if you have valve disease by listening to your heart with a stethoscope. The doctor can listen to different voices or click murmur valve disease. Other tests that your doctor may do.
- A chest x-ray, which can show if your heart is enlarged. This can happen if a valve is not working properly.
- Echocardiography, which can produce images of your heart wall thickness, the shape of your valve 'and action, and the size of your valve opening. Doppler echocardiography (ultrasound) can be used to determine how severe narrowing (stenosis) or backflow (regurgitation) of blood.
- Electrocardiography (EKG or ECG) can be used to determine whether the enlarged ventricle or atrium. This test also can determine whether you have an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia).
- Coronary angiography is a part of cardiac catheterization. This allows the doctor to see your heart as it is pumping. Angiography can help identify the narrowed valve or backflow of blood. These tests also help doctors decide whether you need surgery, and, if so, what type. In addition, this test can show if you have coronary artery disease.
- Chest magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can give a 3-dimensional picture of your heart and valves.
How is valve disease treated?
People who have no symptoms or only minimal symptoms may not require treatment. Others do well with medications that relieve pain symptoms, but medicine can not cure valve disease. If the condition worsens, it becomes difficult to control, or drugs do not work anymore, percutaneous or surgical intervention may be needed.
Lifestyle Changes
Not much can be done to prevent valve disease, but it is still important to live a heart-healthy lifestyle and risk factor control as you can. One step that you can do is to make sure that you do not get rheumatic fever, which originated from bacterial infections such as strep throat. Throat infection should be diagnosed early, and you must finish all the medicine that your doctor gives you to stop the infection coming back.
If you have valve disease, you should always tell your dentist, because you may need to take antibiotics before dental procedures. Every time you give your doctor your medical history, remember to tell him or that you have his valve disease. As in dental procedures, you may need to take medicine before surgery or other procedures. If you have valve disease and not taking antibiotics before dental or surgical procedure, you can increase the risk of infection in the lining of your heart. This infection is called infective endocarditis.
Medicines
Medicines are given to ease the pain of your symptoms, reduce the workload on your heart, and regulate your heart's rhythm. The following medicines are most often prescribed.
- Digitalis, which reduces the load on your heart and eases some symptoms of valve disease.
- Diuretics, which can lower the salt and fluid levels in your body. Diuretics also reduce swelling and ease the workload on your heart.
- Antiplatelet therapy, which prevents blood clots from forming.
- Anticoagulant drugs, which prevent blood clotting, particularly in patients who have undergone heart valve surgery and has a prosthetic valve is made of synthetic material.
- Beta-blockers, which control your heart rate and lower your blood pressure.
- Calcium channel blockers, which affect the contraction of muscle tissue in your liver. By lowering your blood pressure and reduce the workload on your heart, calcium channel blockers may delay the need for cardiac valve surgery.
Surgery is the most invasive option for the treatment of valve disease. During the operation, both valves can be repaired or replaced.
Repairs may involve opening the valve narrowed by removing calcium deposits or reinforce the valve does not close properly. Improvements can also be used to treat congenital defects and defects of the mitral valve.
Replacement valves are used to treat diseases that can not be repaired. This involves removing the damaged valve and prosthetic valve suture in place. Prosthetic valves can be mechanical (made of materials such as plastic, carbon, or metal) or biological (made from human or animal tissue). Mechanical valve increases the risk of blood clots formed in the new valve. Patients with mechanical heart valves need to take blood-thinning medication for the rest of their lives.
Valve surgery is usually an open heart technique. This means that the surgeon uses the heart-lung machine, because the heart must stop beating for a short time during the operation. In some patients, the surgeon can repair or replace heart valve using minimally invasive techniques, but will get to your doctor to decide whether you are a good candidate for minimally invasive surgery.
Article Source: Pro Healthy Life
