Valvular Heart Disease

Valvular Heart Disease

Valvular heart disease refers to numerous diseases and disorders of the heart valves. The heart valves are tissue flaps that regulate the flow of blood through chambers of the heart. There are four valves that control the flow of blood which are: tricuspid valve located at the right side of the heart between the right atrium and right ventricle; pulmonic valve located in the right side of the heart between the right ventricle and pulmonary artery; mitral valve located in the left side of the heart between the left atrium and left ventricle, and is the only valve that has two leaflets instead of three; and aortic valve located in the left side if the heart between the left ventricle and aorta.

The heart is made up of four chambers consisting of two upper chambers called the atria, and two lower chambers called the ventricles which are in charge for pumping blood. The heart valves on the other hand, are like one-way doors that open and close with each beat of the heart therefore controlling the blood flow from one chamber to the next. During the period of time when the ventricles are filling blood, the Tricuspid and Mitral valves open. When blood is being injected from the heart, the Pulmonic and Aortic valves open. These valves are made up of a few thin folds of tissue and when functioning normally, keep blood from flowing backward into a chamber when closed.

These four valves can be affected by disease in two ways thus resulting to valvular heart disease: first through stenosis, which is a narrowing of the valve resulting to blood not being able to move through freely; and second through regurgitation, where there is a failure of the one-way valve resulting in blood flowing back through the valve in the wrong direction.

Patients who have valvular heart disease have a break down of one or more of the valves. There are several types of valvular heart disease with different symptoms and treatment. These are: aortic valve insufficiency; aortic valve stenosis; mitral valve stenosis; mitral valve insufficiency; mitral valve prolapse; tricuspid valve stenosis; tricuspid valve insufficiency; pulmonic stenosis; and pulmonic insufficiency.

Some types of heart disease may lead to one of the conditions of valvular heart disease. Multivalvular heart disease is a condition which involves more than one of the heart valves.

Valvular heart disease may take place as a result of degeneration, congenital abnormality, or infection. Rheumatic fever and infective endocarditis are the most common types of infections for valvular heart disease. There are other valvular heart disease such as those involving the mitral and aortic valves affected by deposits of calcium in the heart that occurs with aging. This leads to thickening and leakage of heart valves. The mitral valve structures can also be damaged through heart attacks, and other connective tissue disorders that can harmfully affect the heart valves.
Treatment of valvular heart disease may vary depending on the specific valve involved and the degree of damage or malfunction. Some patients do not require treatment, for some medications, but sometimes surgery is needed.