Heart Valve Problems
Heart valve problems are another condition that is related to heart disease. The basic definition of a heart valve problem is an abnormality of a heart valve that causes improper blood flow throughout the heart. (American Heart Association, 2016) This abnormality can take several forms. They include stenosis, regurgitation, mitral valve prolapse, and atresia. While they affect the valves of the heart in different ways, they all have the potential to be a serious problem.
Heart valve stenosis occurs when a valve in the heart is too narrow. This narrowing can be a result of the flaps of the valve either thickening, stiffening, or the flaps fuse together. (AHA, 2016) There are four types of stenosis. They are aortic, tricuspid, pulmonary, and mitral stenosis. The types depend on what valve of the heart the stenosis is affecting. When stenosis occurs, the valves cannot open all the way. This means that the heart has to work harder to pump blood through the affected valve. It can also result in an oxygen deficiency throughout the body. Heart valve regurgitation, on the other hand, occurs when a valve in the heart allows blood to leak back into a chamber. This condition is usually more severe than stenosis and can even be life-threatening and require surgical repair. (AHA, 2016) Blood leakage strains the heart and can affect the amount of blood that the heart pumps per minute. The two main groups of regurgitation are either when blood leaks back through a valve when the flaps or closing, or when it leaks through the flaps when they should be closed. There are also specific types of regurgitation depending on which valve they affect. These names are the same as those for stenosis. Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) occurs when the mitral valve of the heart closes improperly. The valve bulges into the left atrium which can result in blood leaking back through the valve. (AHA, 2016) The main reason that this occurs is because of myxomatous valve disease that causes valve leaflets to be abnormally stretchy. It can also be caused by other health problems, including connective tissue diseases. MVP for the most part doesn’t require treatment, but in some cases may cause arrhythmias that will require some sort of treatment eventually. |
An animation of a normal valve, a prolapsed valve, and a regurgitative valve.
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The last and rarest type of heart valve problem is atresia. The definition of atresia is the underdevelopment or absence of a heart valve. (AHA, 2016) Atresia is only caused by three rare birth disorders. The disorders are hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), pulmonary atresia, and tricuspid atresia. HLHS is defined as the underdevelopment of the left side of the heart. (AHA, 2016) This disorder can be fatal within a month of birth unless corrected with a series of surgeries. Pulmonary atresia is the absence of the pulmonary valve in the heart. (AHA, 2016) This makes blood unable to flow to the lungs through the pulmonary artery and only through openings that usually close during development. This causes the blood to be highly deoxygenated and can cause severe cyanosis. A shunt can be surgically created between the aorta and pulmonary artery to increase blood flow to the lungs, though. Tricuspid atresia is the absence of a tricuspid valve which makes blood unable to flow into the heart normally. (AHA, 2016) This also can cause cyanosis due to deoxygenated blood, and can also be treated with a shunt that increases blood flow to the lungs.
Though many of these valve problems are genetic, it is important to take preventative heart disease measures to reduce the risk of developing one later in life.
The last and rarest type of heart valve problem is atresia. The definition of atresia is the underdevelopment or absence of a heart valve. (AHA, 2016) Atresia is only caused by three rare birth disorders. The disorders are hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), pulmonary atresia, and tricuspid atresia. HLHS is defined as the underdevelopment of the left side of the heart. (AHA, 2016) This disorder can be fatal within a month of birth unless corrected with a series of surgeries. Pulmonary atresia is the absence of the pulmonary valve in the heart. (AHA, 2016) This makes blood unable to flow to the lungs through the pulmonary artery and only through openings that usually close during development. This causes the blood to be highly deoxygenated and can cause severe cyanosis. A shunt can be surgically created between the aorta and pulmonary artery to increase blood flow to the lungs, though. Tricuspid atresia is the absence of a tricuspid valve which makes blood unable to flow into the heart normally. (AHA, 2016) This also can cause cyanosis due to deoxygenated blood, and can also be treated with a shunt that increases blood flow to the lungs.
Though many of these valve problems are genetic, it is important to take preventative heart disease measures to reduce the risk of developing one later in life.
American Heart Association. (2016, May 1). Understanding heart valve problems and causes. Retrieved
October 16, 2016, from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/
HeartValveProblemsandDisease/
Understanding-Heart-Valve-Problems-and-Causes_UCM_450360_Article.jsp#.WARCwOArKhc
American Heart Association. (2016, October 13). Heart valve stenosis [Image]. Retrieved from
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/HeartValveProblemsandDisease/
Problem-Heart-Valve-Stenosis_UCM_450369_Article.jsp#.WARD1OArKhc
American Heart Association. (2016, September 29). Heart valve regurgitation [Image]. Retrieved from
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/HeartValveProblemsandDisease/
Problem-Heart-Valve-Regurgitation_UCM_450736_Article.jsp#.WAREuOArKhc
American Heart Association. (2016, May 1). Prolapse/regurgitation [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://watchlearnlive.heart.org/CVML_Player.php?moduleSelect=prolap
October 16, 2016, from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/
HeartValveProblemsandDisease/
Understanding-Heart-Valve-Problems-and-Causes_UCM_450360_Article.jsp#.WARCwOArKhc
American Heart Association. (2016, October 13). Heart valve stenosis [Image]. Retrieved from
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/HeartValveProblemsandDisease/
Problem-Heart-Valve-Stenosis_UCM_450369_Article.jsp#.WARD1OArKhc
American Heart Association. (2016, September 29). Heart valve regurgitation [Image]. Retrieved from
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/HeartValveProblemsandDisease/
Problem-Heart-Valve-Regurgitation_UCM_450736_Article.jsp#.WAREuOArKhc
American Heart Association. (2016, May 1). Prolapse/regurgitation [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://watchlearnlive.heart.org/CVML_Player.php?moduleSelect=prolap