The heart like you know is among the most important organs in the human body, that tirelessly works in transporting blood and oxygen to different parts and organs. The heart has four valves, which have tissue flaps. With each heartbeat, the flaps open and close and ensure that the flow of blood takes place in the right direction. The four valves are namely – the tricuspid, pulmonary, mitral and aortic. Issues in the valves of the heart can lead to various kinds of problems. Generally the flaps of the valves do not open and close properly. This leads the blood to leak back and enter into the blood chambers. The heart has to work harder for pumping more blood and this puts additional pressure on the heart.
Problems in the heart valves
There are mainly three kinds of problems in the heart valves – stenosis, regurgitation and atresia.
- Stenosis – In stenosis, the flaps of the valve thicken, fuse together or tend to stiffen. As a result, the valves of the heart are not able to open completely. Blood flow is restricted through the valves causing problems.
- Regurgitation – The problem of regurgitation is actually the backflow of the blood into the chamber. This happens when the blood leaks and flows back into the chamber. Prolapse (23) is the main reason for the backflow of blood into the heart chamber.
- Atresia – When there is lack of opening for blood to pass through, it is known as atresia (24). This can be a congenital problem or can develop over a period of time.
Symptoms of heart valve disease
An alarming thing about heart valve disease is that the symptoms are not very prominent right from the beginning. People might not have any kinds of symptoms till quite late. Some prominent symptoms of heart valve disease include:
- Immense fatigue
- Abnormal sound of the heart when the doctor studies it with the stethoscope
- Swelling in the feet and ankles
- Shortness of breath, when one lies down or has been very active
- Fainting
- Irregular heartbeat patterns
- Dizziness
When these symptoms become prominent and start disrupting normal life, it is recommended to seek consultation from a cardiologist and take proper measures and treatments. If the problems are ignored, various kinds of complications might crop up. Some of these include stroke, heart failure, and abnormalities in heart rhythm, blood clots and even death.
Treatment options for heart valve diseases
There are different kinds of treatment options available for heart valve diseases. The chosen option will depend on the condition of the valve and the extent of damage, which has been incurred on the same. It is true that complete curing of heart valve ailments are not possible through medications. However, the combination of medicines and changes in lifestyle can help in reducing the severity of the symptoms significantly. If the problem is severe and medicines cannot help in any way, valve surgery (25) is recommended.
- Recommended medications for heart valve diseases – Some of the medicines which are recommended for heart valve diseases help in treating the symptoms of the problem and also reduce the chances of further valve damage to quite an extent. Some medicines in this list include:
- Vasodilators – these reduce the heart’s work and lets the blood flow in the forward direction
- Diuretics – helps in removing extra fluid from the body and reduces symptoms of heart failure
- Anticoagulants – helps in lengthening clotting time of blood. Blood clots in the valve are not formed as a result
- ACE inhibitors – a kind of vasodilator for treating heart failure and high blood pressure
- Antiarrhythmicmedications – helps in controlling heart’s rhythm
- Beta blockers – help in treating high blood pressure and reduce heart’s work. Helps in treating palpitations in many patients
- Surgery for valve repair or replacement – In many patients, there is no other alternative than resorting to surgery for treating heart valve diseases. In such patients, either the valve has to be repaired or replaced. And these are not possible without surgery. Depending on the condition of the valve and the heart, the surgery can be in the traditional format or minimally invasive one as well. Repairing of the valve is also possible through a process called percutaneous balloon valvotomy (26).