which affects the valve between the left ventricle and the aorta. In this type of stenosis, the aortic valve stiffens and won’t open all the way. Your heart, therefore, is forced to work harder in order to pump blood.

Aortic valve stenosis can be congenital. This is a condition you can have even before you are born. Sometimes, it can be an acquired condition, wherein a bacterial infection causes the hardening of the leaflets from calcium and fat deposits. This can also be a result of damage from a heart attack.

Symptoms

Symptoms of aortic valve stenosis are similar to mitral valve stenosis, except for the pink or purplish cheeks. This condition can be diagnosed with the use of an echocardiogram, which is an ultrasound of the heart.

Treatment

There are also non-surgical medical treatments that can be done to manage aortic valve stenosis and prevent it from developing into something worse. Medical management is an option as long as the aortic stenosis is not yet severe. The doctor may prescribe medications to help ease the burden on your heart.

The other options to treat heart valve stenosis are to have a valvuloplasty or transcatheter aortic valve replacement. This will allow the affected heart valve to be replaced using a catheter, which is less invasive than an actual surgical aortic valve replacement.

Key Takeaways

Though there are four different types of heart valve stenosis, all of them can have significant detrimental effects on the heart and body.

When you suffer from heart valve stenosis, your heart will need to work harder to provide the body with the necessary amount of blood and oxygen it needs. So to take better care of your heart, regular checkups, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly can make a huge difference.

The functions and normal anatomy of heart valves

The normal human heart has four valves that separate the chambers of the heart, as well as the ventricles from the aorta and pulmonary artery. These valves ensure that as the heart contracts, blood moves forward instead of flowing back to the previous chamber or blood vessel.

Heart valves are made out of strong, thin flaps of tissue called leaflets or cusps, which (when healthy) allow blood to only flow in one direction. There are structures within the heart that offer support to the tricuspid and mitral valves, such as the chordae tendineae and papillary muscles. The chordae tendineae is a strong fibrous string that attaches to the valves, allowing them to endure high levels of pressure when preventing the backflow of blood.

The other end of this chordae tendineae is attached to what we call papillary muscles, which are found on the inside of the ventricles and contract when resisting the backflow of blood to the atria.

Below is a brief elaboration of each valve’s location:

• Mitral Valve – Found on the left side of the heart, separating the left atrium from the left ventricle. Interestingly, this valve only contains 2 leaflets, while the other valves have 3.
• Tricuspid Valve – Located between the right ventricle and right atrium.
• Pulmonic Valve – Located between the pulmonary artery and right ventricle.
• Aortic Valve – Located between the left ventricle and the aorta.

Valvular diseases

Heart valve disease occurs when one or more of the heart valves fail to function normally. There are 3 types of alterations that occur in the heart valves:

Stenosis. This refers to a flap that has thickened, stiffened, or fused together. Because of this, the flap is no longer able to open completely, resulting in decreased blood flow to the chamber below the affected valve.

Regurgitation. This is the backflow of blood and occurs when a valve does not close completely, allowing blood to leak back into the previous or upper chamber in relation to the affected valve. This is commonly due to a flap that bulges back into the upper heart chamber (atria), a condition known as a heart valve prolapse.

Atresia. This is a congenital condition where there is no opening between the chambers of the heart.

Valvular heart disease may be caused by age-related changes, infections, birth defects, or other conditions, and can ultimately alter the ability of your heart to pump blood throughout your body. It should be noted that congenital heart valve disease commonly involves the pulmonary or aortic valves, while acquired heart valve disease usually affects the mitral or aortic valves.

Heart valve disease symptoms

Patients with heart valve disease may be asymptomatic and the condition may not cause any problems throughout their lifespan. However, other patients’ conditions may worsen and slowly develop symptoms. If not treated, heart valve disease may lead to stroke, heart failure, thrombus formation, or sudden cardiac arrest.

The major signs and symptoms of heart valve disease are listed below:

• Heart murmur – an unusual heartbeat sound
• Unusually fatigued or tired
• Edema (swelling) of the legs, feet, ankles, abdomen, and jugular veins (veins of the neck)

Non-specific signs and symptoms include:

• Chest pain upon exertion
• A noticeable irregular, fluttering, or racing heartbeat
• Dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting

Heart valve disease risk factors

Risk factors for developing heart valve disease include:

• Old age
• Medical history of:
  • Rheumatic fever
  • Heart attack
  • Infective endocarditis
  • Heart failure
• Hypertension
• Smoking
• High serum cholesterol levels
• Diabetes
• Being overweight or obese
• Physical inactivity

As mentioned earlier, heart valve disease may also be a congenital condition, meaning that people may be born with the condition. Among this group of patients, there are those born with bicuspid/ commissural aortic valve, a condition where there is a fusion of 2 of the 3 aortic valves. These patients are at particular risk for developing aortic heart valve disease in the future.

Prevention of heart valve disease

Currently, there is no sure way to prevent the development of heart valve disease. However, there are studies that state that heart-healthy diets, and cholesterol-lowering medications may aid in preventing the development of aortic stenosis. The following are other practices that may help in preventing the development of heart valve disease:

• Regular physical activity
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Stress management
• Cessation of smoking
• Getting enough quality sleep
• Diet modification (increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables and avoiding saturated and trans fats and high sugar food)
• Monitoring blood pressure and cholesterol levels

Identifying heart valve disease symptoms and risk factors is also an important part of lowering your risk of developing a serious case of this condition.

Treatment of heart valve disease

Medications that lower blood pressure, prevent the occurrence of arrhythmias, thin blood, prevent the development of blood clots, treat coronary heart disease, and treat heart failure may be provided to patients on a case-to-case basis.

Surgical intervention may be recommended to all patients with heart valve disease to replace or repair of these defects, as this can prevent permanent damage to the heart. This may be an option to patients based on their age, general health, and severity of the valve disease.

Key Takeaway

Valvular heart disease is a rare but serious condition. It alters the function of the heart valves and can obstructs the amount of blood that moves through the heart. A heart-healthy lifestyle and some medications for comorbid conditions may aid in lowering your risk of heart valve disease. Part of avoiding or detecting this condition early is knowing the heart valve disease symptoms and risk factors

What is tricuspid valve disease?

Tricuspid valve disease happens due to an impairment of the function of the heart’s valves. In particular, the valve between the two right heart chambers (right ventricle and right atrium) doesn’t function properly.

Tricuspid valve disease often occurs in conjunction with other heart valve problems.

In severe cases, surgical repair or replacement of the valve is needed to relieve symptoms.

There are several types of tricuspid valve disease, including:

Tricuspid valve regurgitation

In tricuspid valve regurgitation, the tricuspid valve doesn’t close properly, and blood flows back into your heart’s upper right chamber (right atrium).

Tricuspid atresia

In this congenital defect — a condition present at birth — the tricuspid valve isn’t formed properly. And a solid sheet of tissue blocks the blood flow between the right heart chambers.

Ebstein’s anomaly

Ebstein’s anomaly is another congenital heart defect. With this condition, a malformed tricuspid valve sits lower than normal in the right ventricle. This can cause blood to flow back into the right atrium (tricuspid valve regurgitation).

Tricuspid valve stenosis

In tricuspid valve stenosis, the narrowing of the tricuspid valve disrupts blood flow. This decreases the amount of blood that flows from the right atrium to the lower right heart chamber (right ventricle).

Heart Valve Stenosis, Explained

Signs and Symptoms of Tricuspid Valve Disease

Tricuspid valve disease symptoms often do not appear until the condition has become severe. The common symptoms are:

• Irregular heart rhythm (atrial fibrillation)
• Easily tired (fatigue)
• A fluttering discomfort in the neck
• With severe disease, heart failure symptoms (abdominal pain, shortness of breath, swelling in the belly, legs, or ankles)

There may be some symptoms not listed above. If you have any concerns about a symptom, please consult your doctor.

When Should I See My Doctor?

If you have any signs or symptoms listed above or have any questions, please consult with your doctor. It is always best to discuss with your doctor what is best for your situation.

Because symptoms do not always appear until the condition has become severe, regular check ups with your doctor are crucial. Your doctor may detect this condition as a heart murmur, or may spot the condition in an echocardiogram, an ultrasound imaging of the heart.

What Causes Tricuspid Valve Disease?

There are a number of causes for tricuspid valve disease. These range from complications that arise from other conditions to congenital defects:

• Infection, such as rheumatic fever or infective endocarditis
• A dilated right ventricle, causing the annulus (a ring of tough fibrous tissue which is attached to and supports the leaflets of the valve) of the tricuspid valve to enlarge
• Increased pressure through the tricuspid valve (seen with pulmonary hypertension)
• Less common causes include congenital defects, trauma, carcinoid heart disease, tumor, tricuspid valve prolapse, Ebstein’s anomaly, systemic lupus, and trauma.

How is Tricuspid Valve Disease Diagnosed?

Tricuspid valve disease is often first diagnosed during a physical exam. The doctor will often hear a murmur (abnormal blood flow through the valve). Other signs your doctor may find are an irregular pulse and a fluttering or abnormal pulsation in your neck (jugular vein).

To find out more, your doctor may request for a number of tests to be performed. Tests used to diagnose valve disease may include:

• Electrocardiography (ECG)
• Chest X-ray
• Echocardiography
• Cardiac Catheterization
• Radionuclide scans
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

How Is Tricuspid Valve Disease Treated?

Once this condition is diagnosed, your doctor will want to monitor the progress of your valve disease with regular appointments. These may be once a year, or they may be more often, if your doctor feels your condition needs to be observed more closely.

Your appointment will include a medical exam. Diagnostic studies may be repeated at regular intervals.

Your physician may prescribe medications to treat your symptoms. These medications may include drugs to treat heart failure or medications to control irregular heart rhythms.

When valve disease is severe, it may be necessary to repair or replace the diseased valve.

Tricuspid valve repair using an annuloplasty ring is the preferred surgical approach for tricuspid regurgitation and may be performed for primary tricuspid disease or for combined cases with other valve surgery (mitral, aortic).

When the valve can not be repaired, a valve replacement will be performed.

Key Takeaways

If you have tricuspid valve disease, you are at risk for getting endocarditis, an infection that causes damage to the heart valves (even if your valve has been repaired or replaced with surgery). You will need to follow these guidelines:

• Tell your doctors and dentist you have valve disease. You may want to carry a card with this information.
• Call your doctor if you have symptoms of an infection (sore throat, general body achiness, and fever). Colds and flus do not cause endocarditis. But, infections, which may have the same symptoms, do. So, to be safe, call your doctor.
• Take good care of your teeth and gums to prevent infections. See your dentist for regular visits.
• Take antibiotics before you undergo any procedure that may cause bleeding.

Heart valve stenosis is a kind of valvular heart disease or a disease that affects the valves of the heart.

The human heart has four chambers. The upper chambers are called the left and right atriums while the lower chambers are called the left and right ventricles.

These four chambers connect to valves at the exit, which is responsible for maintaining continuous blood flow from the heart to an individual’s entire body.

When they work normally, the heart valves do two things: open all the way to let blood flow through them and keep blood flowing in one direction.

These valves function to stop the blood from flowing backward, preventing blood rich in oxygen from mixing with blood lacking in oxygen. When one of these valves fails to open or close properly, it is called valvular heart disease, or heart valve disease.

One type of valvular heart disease is heart valve stenosis.

What Causes Heart Valve Stenosis?

Valvular heart disease can develop before a person is born, or as one age. There are multiple causes for Valvular Heart Disease, and not all of them are known.

Here are some of the known causes:

• Rheumatic fever, wherein a bacterial infection may damage the heart. Its sequelae, called rheumatic heart disease, is the result of our body’s exaggerated immune response to the bacteria that caused the rheumatic fever.
• Cardiomyopathy, when the heart muscle is diseased, Coronary heart disease, and Heart attack
• Syphilis
• Atherosclerosis and High blood pressure
• Aortic aneurysms, or the enlargement of the aorta
• Connective tissue diseases

Heart valve stenosis is described as the stiffening of the heart, which can narrow the size of the valve openings. This can lead to a restricted flow of blood.

In severe cases, this can result in the rest of the body not receiving adequate blood flow.

What are the Types of Cardiac Stenosis?

Each valve has its own type of heart valve stenosis.

Pulmonary heart valve stenosis

The pulmonary valve narrows and restricts the flow of oxygen-poor blood towards the lungs. This impedes the blood from picking up oxygen and delivering it to the rest of your body. When the pulmonary valve is narrow, the right ventricle must exert more effort, which leads to increased pressure inside the heart.

Mitral Valve Stenosis

Blood flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle is reduced. This leads to fatigue or shortness of breath since the flow of oxygen-rich blood coming from the lungs is lessened. Mitral Valve Stenosis can cause the left atrium to enlarge and for fluid to build up in the lungs.

Tricuspid Valve Stenosis

Blood flow from the right ventricle to the right atrium is restricted. This may lead to the enlargement of the atrium and affect the pressure and blood flow from surrounding veins and chambers. It can also lead to the right ventricle losing size which may lead to oxygen-poor blood reaching the lungs.

Aortic Valve Stenosis

In this heart valve stenosis, the blood flow is restricted from your heart to the aorta (the main artery leading to the rest of your body). This may lead to your left ventricle pushing harder to let blood flow through. The ventricle can thicken over time and lead to less efficiency in the heart.

Signs and Symptoms

The symptoms for heart valve stenosis may include:

• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Fainting

Doctors can use a stethoscope to listen to your heart and detect if there are any problems.

They listen in on potential clicking sounds or “heart murmurs” that potentially signify heart problems. Other possible diagnostic tests your doctor may perform are:

• Chest x-ray
• Echocardiography to determine how severe the narrowing or regurgitation of blood
• Echocardiography can see these enlarged valves / heart chambers.
• Cardiac MRI to give a three-dimensional image of your heart and valves
• Coronary angiography to identify stenosis or regurgitation, mostly helpful in determining if the patient is in need of surgery

Treatment

For some people, treatment for heart valve stenosis may not be necessary. Unfortunately for others, surgery might be necessary to replace and repair the affected valve.

Heart valves may be repaired by patching up holes or tears, separating valve leaflets, or reshaping valves so that they can properly open and close.

Valvuloplasty, a process that uses a balloon to dilate the valve, may be considered as an option depending on one’s age and the severity of the condition.

How to Prevent Heart Valve Stenosis

The risk of developing heart valve stenosis can be lowered by adopting a healthy lifestyle. These include:

• Don’t smoke
• Exercise regularly
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Eat a balanced diet
• Consume less alcohol
• Manage your stress

Because the heart is the seat of crucial bodily functions, a disruption in its processes can have grave effects on the rest of the body.

So knowing the heart’s intricacies, from each valve and the function it serves, is one of the best ways to care for our overall health.

Tricuspid valve disease happens due to an impairment of the function of the heart’s valves. In particular, the valve between the two right heart chambers (right ventricle and right atrium) doesn’t function properly.

Tricuspid valve disease often occurs in conjunction with other heart valve problems.

In severe cases, surgical repair or replacement of the valve is needed to relieve symptoms.

There are several types of tricuspid valve disease, including:

Tricuspid valve regurgitation

In tricuspid valve regurgitation, the tricuspid valve doesn’t close properly, and blood flows back into your heart’s upper right chamber (right atrium).

Tricuspid atresia

In this congenital defect — a condition present at birth — the tricuspid valve isn’t formed properly. And a solid sheet of tissue blocks the blood flow between the right heart chambers.

Ebstein’s anomaly

Ebstein’s anomaly is another congenital heart defect. With this condition, a malformed tricuspid valve sits lower than normal in the right ventricle. This can cause blood to flow back into the right atrium (tricuspid valve regurgitation).

Tricuspid valve stenosis

In tricuspid valve stenosis, the narrowing of the tricuspid valve disrupts blood flow. This decreases the amount of blood that flows from the right atrium to the lower right heart chamber (right ventricle).

Signs and Symptoms of Tricuspid Valve Disease

Tricuspid valve disease symptoms often do not appear until the condition has become severe. The common symptoms are:

• Irregular heart rhythm (atrial fibrillation)
• Easily tired (fatigue)
• A fluttering discomfort in the neck
• With severe disease, heart failure symptoms (abdominal pain, shortness of breath, swelling in the belly, legs, or ankles)

There may be some symptoms not listed above. If you have any concerns about a symptom, please consult your doctor.

When Should I See My Doctor?

If you have any signs or symptoms listed above or have any questions, please consult with your doctor. It is always best to discuss with your doctor what is best for your situation.

Because symptoms do not always appear until the condition has become severe, regular checkups with your doctor are crucial. Your doctor may detect this condition like a heart murmur or may spot the condition in an echocardiogram, an ultrasound imaging of the heart.

What Causes Tricuspid Valve Disease?

There are a number of causes for tricuspid valve disease. These range from complications that arise from other conditions to congenital defects:

• Infection, such as rheumatic fever or infective endocarditis
• A dilated right ventricle, causing the annulus (a ring of tough fibrous tissue which is attached to and supports the leaflets of the valve) of the tricuspid valve to enlarge
• Increased pressure through the tricuspid valve (seen with pulmonary hypertension)
• Less common causes include congenital defects, trauma, carcinoid heart disease, tumor, tricuspid valve prolapse, Ebstein’s anomaly, systemic lupus, and trauma.

How is Tricuspid Valve Disease Diagnosed?

Tricuspid valve disease is often first diagnosed during a physical exam. The doctor will often hear a murmur (abnormal blood flow through the valve). Other signs your doctor may find are an irregular pulse and a fluttering or abnormal pulsation in your neck (jugular vein).

To find out more, your doctor may request for a number of tests to be performed. Tests used to diagnose valve disease may include:

• Electrocardiography (ECG)
• Chest X-ray
• Echocardiography
• Cardiac Catheterization
• Radionuclide scans
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

How Is Tricuspid Valve Disease Treated?

Once this condition is diagnosed, your doctor will want to monitor the progress of your valve disease with regular appointments. These may be once a year, or they may be more often if your doctor feels your condition needs to be observed more closely.

Your appointment will include a medical exam. Diagnostic studies may be repeated at regular intervals.

Your physician may prescribe medications to treat your symptoms. These medications may include drugs to treat heart failure or medications to control irregular heart rhythms.

When valve disease is severe, it may be necessary to repair or replace the diseased valve.

Tricuspid valve repair using an annuloplasty ring is the preferred surgical approach for tricuspid regurgitation and may be performed for primary tricuspid disease or for combined cases with other valve surgery (mitral, aortic).

When the valve can not be repaired, a valve replacement will be performed.

Key Takeaways

If you have tricuspid valve disease, you are at risk for getting endocarditis, an infection that causes damage to the heart valves (even if your valve has been repaired or replaced with surgery). You will need to follow these guidelines:

• Tell your doctors and dentist you have valve disease. You may want to carry a card with this information.
• Call your doctor if you have symptoms of an infection (sore throat, general body achiness, and fever). Colds and flus do not cause endocarditis. But, infections, which may have the same symptoms, do. So, to be safe, call your doctor.
• Take good care of your teeth and gums to prevent infections. See your dentist for regular visits.
• Take antibiotics before you undergo any procedure that may cause bleeding.

How exactly does heart valve regurgitation happen?

To full understand this, we must first define heart valve disease and how it can impact cardiovascular function.

Heart valve disease or valvular heart disease occurs when there is damage to one or more of the four heart valves. These valves regulate and control the forward distribution of blood through the heart, to the lungs and the rest of the body.

They are also responsible for collecting oxygen-poor blood from the body for proper oxygenation through the lungs. It is important that the oxygen-rich blood does not mix with oxygen-poor blood.

Heart valve diseases are usually primarily concerned with the mitral and aortic valves. A fully functional valve pushes blood forward in the right direction. In cases of heart valve disease, the valves either fail to open smoothly or close tightly.

If the valve fails to open, the blood is forced to back up in the heart chamber. If the valve fails to close, blood may leak back into the chamber where it previously came from.

The build-up of blood in the chambers of the heart causes blood clots, which can lead to serious complications such as stroke, pulmonary embolism, or in extreme cases, congestive heart failure.

What is heart valve regurgitation?

Regurgitation is defined as blood leaking backwards through a damaged valve. The leaking is because the valve is unable to close properly, allowing blood to escape back into the chamber it exited. Because blood is meant to move forward, the leak causes a disruption.

This means that less blood is pumped out of the heart to the lungs or to the body. What’s more, this puts a strain on the heart, which loses its ability to efficiently pump oxygen-rich blood to the body.

The types of heart valve regurgitation depend on which valve is affected. Here are the types of heart valve regurgitation.

Mitral Valve Regurgitation

A mitral valve regurgitation affects the mitral valve, causing leakage into the left atrium from the left ventricle. This disrupts the distribution of blood to the rest of the body, meaning less blood is pumped out to the body.

Because the leakage causes blood build-up and increased pressure, the atrium might become enlarged. Regurgitation also blocks the flow of blood from the lungs, causing congestion or fluid build-up in the lungs.

Tricuspid Valve Regurgitation

A tricuspid valve regurgitation occurs when the tricuspid valve malfunctions. Instead of a forward push towards the right ventricle, the leakage brings the blood backward into the right atrium. This may cause enlargement of the atrium.

Pulmonary Valve Regurgitation

A pulmonary valve regurgitation disrupts the blood movement from the right ventricle, or lower right chamber of the heart, into the lungs. The backward movement allows the intermingling of oxygenated blood with oxygen-poor blood. Thus, the oxygen-rich blood is not properly distributed to fuel the human body.

Aortic Valve Regurgitation

An aortic valve regurgitation prevents the further distribution of oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. Because of the defective aortic valve, blood leaks from the aorta back to the left ventricle instead of forward. Since the body is not receiving enough blood, the heart pumps double time to address the lack of supply. As time passes, the thickening of the ventricles increases the likelihood of heart failure.

What causes heart valve regurgitation?

Heart valve diseases may be due to congenital or acquired causes. The kinds of congenital diseases are:

• Congenital valvular heart disease. The size or shape of the valve may be wrong, or its flaps are not properly attached.
• Bicuspid aortic valve disease. This birth defect affects the aortic valve, which normally have three flaps or leaflets. A bicuspid aortic valve has only two, and the absence of one means the valve is unable to close properly and regurgitation occurs.
• Marfan syndrome. This is a connective tissue disease that may affect the tissues connecting the heart, resulting in mitral valve prolapse and aortic valve regurgitation.

Meanwhile, acquired causes may include the following:

• Rheumatic fever. This inflammatory disease can damage the heart valves as the body fights the streptococcal bacteria infection if left untreated.
• Infective endocarditis. Bacteria or other germs can infect the heart valves once they pass through the bloodstream.
• Radiation therapy. This increases the risk of valvular heart disease for patients who undergo radiation therapy to the chest.

Another cause for heart valve regurgitation is age, due to the degenerative changes in the body as a result of normal aging. Other pre-existing conditions such as coronary artery disease, heart attack, and cardiomyopathy can also lead to valvular heart disease because of the damage to the heart muscle. High blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart tumors can also contribute to heart valve problems. Some medications, such as methysergide used to treat migraines, and some drugs for dieting can increase the risk of this heart disease.

Signs and symptoms to watch out for

Symptoms may develop gradually as the heart attempts to compensate for the damaged valve. A person may go years without being aware of having heart valve regurgitation. However, once their condition worsens, the symptoms may include:

• Fatigue and weakness
• Shortness of breath
• Swollen feet
• Chest pain or tightness
• Lightheadedness or fainting
• Irregular pulse
• Heart murmur
• Rapid heartbeat or palpitations

It is important to consult a doctor immediately and undergo physical examination in order to prevent more serious complications such as stroke, heart failure, heart rhythm abnormalities, infection, or even pulmonary hypertension. Other forms of medical examination include electrocardiogram, stress testing, chest x-rays, echocardiogram, and cardiac catheterization.

Key Takeaways

A heart valve regurgitation is a type of heart valve disease that causes blood leakage within the chambers of the heart due to defective heart valves. There are treatments for heart valve regurgitation such as antibiotics, medications, anticoagulants, and valve surgery. Nevertheless, it is best to lead a healthy heart lifestyle.

Cardiovascular or heart disease ranks highly as a major cause of death. In the Philippines, an annual average of 118,740 Filipinos have cardiac-related deaths. There is a 5% increase each year on this average. Valvular heart disease is one kind of heart disease.

Valvular heart disease occurs when one or more of the valves of the heart fail to function properly. A human heart has four chambers with four corresponding valves at the exit of each heart chamber.

The heart valves have flaps, referred to as leaflets or cusps, that allow entry or exit of the blood. The valves primarily ensure that the blood flows forward–not backward–in the right direction through the four chambers and to the rest of the body.

The Four Chambers of the Heart

• Upper chambers (collectively, the atria)
  • Right atrium: Receives blood from the body
  • Left atrium: Receives oxygenated blood from the lungs
• Lower chambers
  • Right ventricle: Pumps blood to the lungs
  • Left ventricle: Pumps blood to the rest of the body

The 4 Heart Valves

• Tricuspid valve: Separates the right atrium from the right ventricle
• Mitral valve: Pumps blood from the left atrium to the left ventricle
• Pulmonary valve: Separates the right ventricle from the lungs
• Aortic valve: Separates the left ventricle from the aorta (the main vessel to carry blood to the body)

The beat behind the chambers and the valves

It all begins with a person’s heartbeat. When the heart pumps, blood flows from the body and the lungs into the right and left atrium. At the bottom of these chambers are the tricuspid and mitral valves. As the atria fills up, these two valves open to allow blood flow into the right and left ventricles.

As the ventricles fill up, the tricuspid and mitral valves close to prevent the blood from returning to the atria. Once full, the ventricles contract and pump blood through the pulmonary and aortic valves. On one hand, the pulmonary valve brings the blood to the lungs in order to pick up oxygen.

Meanwhile, the aortic valve allows blood to flow from the left ventricle into the main artery that carries the blood from the heart to the rest of the body. As the ventricles contract, the pulmonary and aortic valves shut so that blood does not return into the ventricles.

With each heartbeat, this process repeats itself causing the continuous flow of blood throughout the heart, lungs, and body.

The heart valves are important in preventing the backward flow of blood to avoid mixing the oxygen-poor blood with the oxygen-rich blood. Consequently, when one or more of the heart valves do not open or close properly, a person suffers from heart valve disease.

The types of heart valve prolapse

One type of heart valve disease is valvular prolapse. This occurs when the valves do not close properly because the flaps either slip out of place or bulge upward. As a result of the uneven or improper closure, blood may leak backward, disturbing the normal forward direction of the blood flow.

Here are the types of heart valve prolapse:

Mitral valve prolapse

Mitral valve prolapse is the more common type of heart valve prolapse. It is also known as a click-murmur syndrome, Barlow’s syndrome, or floppy valve syndrome.

This occurs when the two flaps of the mitral valve do not close properly. A part or the entire flap of the mitral valve bulges–or prolapses–upward into the left atrium whenever the two ventricles contract.

Tricuspid, pulmonary and aortic valve prolapse

The other types of heart valve prolapse affects the other valves. As in the first case, the valve flaps or leaflets fail to fully close into a tight seal.

A tricuspid prolapse usually affects three leaflets.

Detection and treatment of heart valve prolapse

For a mitral valve prolapse, the cause can be attributed to genetics, such as when a person is born with the risk of developing this type of heart valve prolapse.

Heart valve prolapse can also be caused by medical conditions, such as people with connective-tissue diseases, like Marfan syndrome, which are diseases that affect certain tissues in the body.

The types of heart valve prolapse are mostly harmless and may even go undetected without any effect on a person’s health.

However, some symptoms include:

• chest discomfort
• the feeling of the heart beating fast or beating hard (palpitations)
• Fatigue, fainting or feeling dizzy

Because the leaflets of the mitral valve prolapse, the valve tissues become stretchy. As a result, the valve leaks a small amount of blood, which may cause a heart murmur.

A physician can conduct a routine physical examination through a stethoscope to determine the existence of a murmur. Your doctor will hear a “click” when he listens to your heart with a stethoscope.

In case a heart murmur is detected, an echocardiogram is usually the next step. This test makes use of sound waves to create a picture of the heart as it beats.

This will determine the amount of blood leaking from the valve into the chambers. An angiogram may also be needed.

Treatment of mitral valve prolapse depends on whether the symptoms and the heart function are getting worse. Sometimes, treatment is not required save for prescribed medication or simple prevention of complications. This type of heart valve prolapse rarely becomes a serious condition.

However, it becomes serious when the mitral valve prolapse results in abnormal heartbeats or when there is too much valve leakage that may further cause complications, like stroke. It is always best to consult with a doctor for how to manage the condition.

Key Takeaways

Heart valve disease occurs when the heart valves do not work well. A prolapse is when the valve flaps fall out of place. There are two types of heart valve prolapse, with mitral prolapse as the more common of the two.

Generally, this type of condition is harmless although it is best to be diagnosed in order to prevent serious complications.

To full understand this, we must first define heart valve disease and how it can impact cardiovascular function.

Heart valve disease or valvular heart disease occurs when there is damage to one or more of the four heart valves. These valves regulate and control the forward distribution of blood through the heart, to the lungs and the rest of the body.

They are also responsible for collecting oxygen-poor blood from the body for proper oxygenation through the lungs. It is important that the oxygen-rich blood does not mix with oxygen-poor blood.

What is heart valve regurgitation?

Regurgitation is defined as blood leaking backwards through a damaged valve. The leaking is because the valve is unable to close properly, allowing blood to escape back into the chamber it exited. Because blood is meant to move forward, the leak causes a disruption.

This means that less blood is pumped out of the heart to the lungs or to the body. What’s more, this puts a strain on the heart, which loses its ability to efficiently pump oxygen-rich blood to the body.

The types of heart valve regurgitation depend on which valve is affected. Here are the types of heart valve regurgitation.

Mitral Valve Regurgitation

A mitral valve regurgitation affects the mitral valve, causing leakage into the left atrium from the left ventricle. This disrupts the distribution of blood to the rest of the body, meaning less blood is pumped out to the body.

Because the leakage causes blood build-up and increased pressure, the atrium might become enlarged. Regurgitation also blocks the flow of blood from the lungs, causing congestion or fluid build-up in the lungs.

Tricuspid Valve Regurgitation

A tricuspid valve regurgitation occurs when the tricuspid valve malfunctions. Instead of a forward push towards the right ventricle, the leakage brings the blood backward into the right atrium. This may cause enlargement of the atrium.

Pulmonary Valve Regurgitation

A pulmonary valve regurgitation disrupts the blood movement from the right ventricle, or lower right chamber of the heart, into the lungs. The backward movement allows the intermingling of oxygenated blood with oxygen-poor blood. Thus, the oxygen-rich blood is not properly distributed to fuel the human body.

Aortic Valve Regurgitation

An aortic valve regurgitation prevents the further distribution of oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. Because of the defective aortic valve, blood leaks from the aorta back to the left ventricle instead of forward. Since the body is not receiving enough blood, the heart pumps double time to address the lack of supply. As time passes, the thickening of the ventricles increases the likelihood of heart failure.

What causes heart valve regurgitation?

Heart valve diseases may be due to congenital or acquired causes. The kinds of congenital diseases are:

• Congenital valvular heart disease. The size or shape of the valve may be wrong, or its flaps are not properly attached.
• Bicuspid aortic valve disease. This birth defect affects the aortic valve, which normally have three flaps or leaflets. A bicuspid aortic valve has only two, and the absence of one means the valve is unable to close properly and regurgitation occurs.
• Marfan syndrome. This is a connective tissue disease that may affect the tissues connecting the heart, resulting in mitral valve prolapse and aortic valve regurgitation.

Meanwhile, acquired causes may include the following:

• Rheumatic fever. This inflammatory disease can damage the heart valves as the body fights the streptococcal bacteria infection if left untreated.
• Infective endocarditis. Bacteria or other germs can infect the heart valves once they pass through the bloodstream.
• Radiation therapy. This increases the risk of valvular heart disease for patients who undergo radiation therapy to the chest.

Another cause for heart valve regurgitation is age, due to the degenerative changes in the body as a result of normal aging. Other pre-existing conditions such as coronary artery disease, heart attack, and cardiomyopathy can also lead to valvular heart disease because of the damage to the heart muscle. High blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart tumors can also contribute to heart valve problems. Some medications, such as methysergide used to treat migraines, and some drugs for dieting can increase the risk of this heart disease.

Signs and symptoms to watch out for

Symptoms may develop gradually as the heart attempts to compensate for the damaged valve. A person may go years without being aware of having heart valve regurgitation. However, once their condition worsens, the symptoms may include:

• Fatigue and weakness
• Shortness of breath
• Swollen feet
• Chest pain or tightness
• Lightheadedness or fainting
• Irregular pulse
• Heart murmur
• Rapid heartbeat or palpitations

It is important to consult a doctor immediately and undergo physical examination in order to prevent more serious complications such as stroke, heart failure, heart rhythm abnormalities, infection, or even pulmonary hypertension. Other forms of medical examination include electrocardiogram, stress testing, chest x-rays, echocardiogram, and cardiac catheterization.

Key Takeaways

A heart valve regurgitation is a type of heart valve disease that causes blood leakage within the chambers of the heart due to defective heart valves. There are treatments for heart valve regurgitation such as antibiotics, medications, anticoagulants, and valve surgery. Nevertheless, it is best to lead a healthy heart lifestyle.

Heart valve disease, or valvular heart disease, is what happens when one or more of these valves are not functioning properly. This may be due to damage or disease. To live a healthy lifestyle nonetheless, heart valve disease management tips have to be followed.

The four chambers of the heart are the right and left atria and the right and left ventricle. The chambers are connected by valves – the mitral, tricuspid, aortal, and pulmonary valves.

These open and shut to ensure a one-way flow of blood throughout the heart and the rest of the body. This is so that oxygen-rich blood does not mix in with oxygen-poor blood, which can reduce the efficiency of blood flow throughout the body.

Some individuals who have valvular heart disease may show little or no symptoms at all. For more severe cases, however, symptoms include:

• Shortness of breath
• Heart palpitations
• Fatigue
• Chest pain
• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Headaches
• Cough
• Water retention
• Pulmonary edema, or having excessive fluid in the lungs

Management Tips for Heart Valve Disease

To better understand how to manage heart valve disease, it helps to know what exactly causes this condition.

Heart valve disease may arise congenitally, or before or at birth, or as one grows older. Not all causes for valvular heart disease are currently known.

Known causes for valvular heart disease include:

• Valvular heart disease due to birth defect
• Endocarditis, when the heart tissue is inflamed
• Rheumatic Fever, a bacterial infection that may damage the heart
• Aging
• Heart attack and coronary heart disease, or the narrowing of arteries that supply the heart
• Cardiomyopathy, a heart muscle disease
• Syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease
• Aortic aneurysm, when the aorta is dangerously enlarged
• Hypertension and Atherosclerosis, or the hardening of the arteries
• Lupus, and other connective tissue diseases

How to Prevent Heart Valve Disease

To lessen the risk of of developing valvular heart disease, one must adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Quit Smoking

Giving up cigarette smoking is one of the best ways to ensure overall health. Not only does having less nicotine in the body help boost lung health, it could also prevent health complications like heart valve disease. Giving up smoking can also reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and immune system issues.

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