Learn The Symptoms Of Valvular Heart Disease

By Author: Rob Thomas
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A valvular heart disease is any ailment that affects the valves of the heart and cause them not to work properly. The heart has four valves the aortic and mitral valves on the left and the tricuspid and pulmonary valves on the right. They are responsible for maintaining blood flow from the heart without backward leakage. The mitral and tricuspid valves regulates the circulation of blood between the atria and the ventricles (the upper and lower chambers of the heart). The pulmonary valve controls the flow of blood from the heart to the lungs, and the aortic valve regulate the blood flow between the heart and the aorta, and thereby the blood vessels to the rest of the body. The mitral and aortic valves are the ones most frequently affected by valvular heart disease.
There are several types of valve disease, such as valvular insufficiency and valvular stenosis. Valvular insufficiency referred to as regurgitation results from a valve not closing tightly. If the valves don’t seal then some blood will leak backwards across the valve. If the leak gets worse then the heart has to pump more and less blood goes ...
... to the rest of the body.Valvular stenosis occurs when a valve opens smaller than it should, due to the leaflet getting fused or stiff. When the opening becomes tightened then the heart has to work more to work properly. This illness can lead to heart failure and other sicknesses. This condition can result in all four valves to become stenotic which further slow down blood flow; this is called pulmonic stenosis, tricuspid stenosis, aortic stenosis ot mitral stenosis.
There are also severe conditions like Atresia which causes under development of the valve close to birth. Mitral valve prolapsed causes the flaps of the mitral valve to have problems to close, because the flaps might be too long. A popular cause of valvular heart disease is rheumatic fever which causes rheumatic heart disease. Heart valve dysplasia is when a problem occurs in the development in any of the heart valves. An inflammation in the valve can be caused from endocarditis formed from bacterial infections due to cancer. Valvular heart disease can also be caused from high blood pressure, heart attacks, radiation therapy (used in cancer treatment), medications like methyergide, and other disorders like erythematosus, syphilis, systemic lupus and carcinoid tumors.
Symptoms of valvular heart disease can happen unexpectedly as well as it may not show any signs until the illness is worsened. Some of the symptoms include excessive loss of weight, fever, fatigue, dizziness, chest pains. It is noted that 5 million U.S. Citizens are diagnosed with valvular hart disease annually.
Valvular heart disease can be cured in various ways such as drugs and surgery. Antibiotics are used to cure bacterial endorcarditis which affect the valves and cause disease and are also given sometimes prior surgery. Medicines such as warfarin are prescribed for those with atrial fibrillation or for individuals who still experience affects from an initial treatment. Antithrombotic drugs like ticlopidine and aspirin can be used for persons who experience mini strokes. Surgery may be an alternative means of valvular heart disease treatment. Surgery can open up the stenotic valve by using a method known as balloon dilatation. In this process the surgeon injects a small balloon into the blood vessel which is followed by a catheter which goes up to the area where the problem occurs and then inflated to increase the size the valve. Avoiding unhealthy habits like drinking too much alcohol, smoking, eating foods with too much salt, can lower the possibility of being affected by a valvular heart disease.
About Author:
Rob Thomas writes about Valvular Heart Disease and recommends the Cardiac Diet.