Text/Xia Mo
Editor/Xia Mo
Preface
The heart is the most important organ in the human body, the heart runs through the circulatory system of the whole body, it is to provide power for the flow of blood, and then transport the blood to the whole body, maintaining the life operation of the person.
The health of the heart should not be neglected, and if something goes wrong with the heart, it is very likely to be life-threatening.
What exactly are heart valves and what do they do?
There is a "heart gate" in the heart, which is the heart valve. There are left atrium, right atrium, left ventricle and right ventricle in the heart, and the valve between them is called mitral valve and tricuspid valve, the valve between the left ventricle and the aorta is called the aortic valve, and the valve between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery is called the pulmonary valve.
When the heart begins to contract, the ventricles are squeezed and the blood is transported to the arteries, and the valves close when the blood has passed, in order to prevent blood from backing up.
When the heart is dilated, blood from the atria will flow to the ventricles, at which point the valves will open, and the aortic and pulmonary valves will close, preventing blood from the ventricles from flowing to the arteries and preventing blood from the arteries from flowing back to the ventricles.
Heart valves play the most critical role in maintaining the normal functioning of the heart during contraction and relaxation.
How is valvular heart disease caused?
Heart valve disease is divided into congenital and acquired factors, heart valve disease will be related to congenital developmental abnormalities, and there are certain genetic factors, often when the baby is born, it will be found that the heart valve has been damaged.
Normally, the heart valve has three lobes, and some patients have only two lobes, which is a congenital heart valve defect disease.
Secondly, if the valve defect is small, it will not affect the blood flow, but it is still necessary to check the heart regularly to prevent the defect from serious, and if the valve defect is large, it will seriously affect the normal blood supply function of the heart, so it is necessary to carry out surgery in time.
Secondly, valvular heart disease can also be caused by some acquired factors, including senile degeneration, infectious factors and disease factors. As the human body ages, the function of various organs in the body will decline, and the phenomenon of heart atrophy will occur, and the heart valve will also degenerate, the most common is the degeneration of the aortic valve.
There are also some people who are infected by bacteria and viruses that cause heart valve disease, infection and trauma can lead to valve lesions, bacteria and viruses may invade the heart through the blood, thereby damaging the heart valves.
Rheumatic heart disease is one of the most common causes of valvular heart disease, which is caused by streptococcal infection, which leads to immune dysfunction after the inflammation of the valve, resulting in parenchymal lesions of the heart. This can lead to fibrosis, calcification, or hyperplasia of the valves, known as systemic muscle tissue inflammation.
Heart valve disease will seriously affect the normal life of patients, after suffering from the disease, there will be some common symptoms of physical discomfort, so we must timely find, judge and treat, if the treatment is not timely and serious, it will lead to the loss of self-care ability, and even life-threatening.
There are two types of valvular heart disease
Valvular heart disease refers to the congenital abnormal development of the valve or the lesion caused by damage for various reasons, usually manifested by the two most common types, the first is the stenosis of the heart valve orifice, and the second is the insufficiency of the heart valve.
1. Heart valve stenosis
Heart valve stenosis means that the valve cannot be fully opened when it is opened, which means that the door is only halfway open, which will cause blood flow to be blocked.
The main causes of valve stenosis are valve thickening, valve sclerosis and coarctation, reduced or even loss of valve elasticity, or adhesion to adjacent valves.
First of all, aortic stenosis is mostly caused by bacterial infection and degenerative diseases, and patients will have respiratory dysfunction, head discomfort or heart pain.
Secondly, pulmonary stenosis is mostly caused by genetics, congenital developmental abnormalities or valve fibrosis, and patients will have symptoms of chest tightness and shortness of breath, cough or fatigue and weakness, and surgery will be necessary if necessary.
If the symptoms are mild or the stenosis is not severe, it does not cause blood flow and does not require specific treatment.
In addition, mitral and tricuspid stenosis are both caused by acquired factors, usually caused by rheumatic heart disease or respiratory infections, and to a lesser extent, lupus erythematosus.
If you suffer from lupus erythematosus, it will seriously affect the normal function of the heart, and may cause myocarditis, endocarditis and other diseases, which is also one of the main causes of valve stenosis.
Patients may experience dyspnea, generalized edema, abdominal distention, and coughing up blood, which can usually be treated with medication.
If the symptoms are severe and cannot be effectively relieved by medical treatment, then surgery is preferred.
2. Heart valve insufficiency
To put it simply, heart valve insufficiency is when the valve is not able to close completely for various reasons, resulting in blood leakage.
Valvular insufficiency is usually caused by congenital developmental abnormalities, degenerative diseases, and abnormal valve structure and function caused by infection.
In the early stages, the patient does not have many obvious symptoms, and over time, the function of the heart will gradually deteriorate, and the condition will become more and more severe, and eventually the patient will even have a myocardial infarction.
Similarly, all valves will also suffer from insufficiency. First of all, aortic regurgitation is mainly caused by abnormal arterial development, infective endocarditis, and other factors.
The aortic valve exists between the aorta and the left ventricle, and if the aortic valve is insufficient, blood will flow back from the aorta back into the left ventricle, and the patient will have symptoms of coughing up blood and difficulty breathing.
Secondly, pulmonary valve insufficiency is caused by rheumatic heart disease, excessive pressure in the pulmonary arteries, and of course, congenital developmental abnormalities, congenital heart disease, etc.
The pulmonary valve is located between the pulmonary artery and the right ventricle, and if the valve is insufficient, the blood that has been flowing to the pulmonary artery will flow back into the right ventricle, causing the patient to have symptoms such as decreased appetite, edema, and abdominal distention.
In addition, there are a variety of factors that can cause mitral regurgitation, which can be divided into chronic and acute.
Chronic mitral regurgitation may be caused by congenital hypoplasia, valve calcification or detachment, rheumatic heart disease, coronary heart disease, connective tissue disease, etc.
Acute mitral regurgitation is caused by trauma, infective endocarditis, or myocardial infarction leading to rupture of the chordae tendinae, while tricuspid regurgitation is usually caused by arterial hypertension and cor pulmonale.
If the body has these 6 symptoms, it is necessary to be alert to the occurrence of heart valve disease
The early stage of valvular heart disease can also be divided into compensated and decompensated period, the compensated stage due to myocardial hypertrophy caused by abnormal blood circulation, so there are no obvious symptoms, if it can not be detected in time, it develops to the decompensated stage, then the consequences will be more serious.
Patients may have systemic blood circulation disorders, which will cause the heart to expand and decrease the contractility of the heart, and patients may experience some typical symptoms in the early stages:
1. Chest tightness and shortness of breath
Valvular heart disease increases the burden on the heart and can also cause insufficient blood supply to the heart, which can seriously affect the normal function of the heart.
If the patient often feels dyspnea and shortness of breath in daily life, especially after exercise or sleeping at night, the symptoms will worsen, accompanied by chest tightness and chest pain, then it is necessary to be alert to the appearance of valvular heart disease.
2. Dizziness and fatigue
Valvular heart disease can cause insufficient blood supply to the heart and affect the blood circulation system throughout the body, which may lead to insufficient blood flow to the brain, and severe ischemia of the brain can cause symptoms of dizziness.
If the body is not nourished by blood, it will lead to severe anemia, and then the symptoms of fatigue and weakness will appear, and the whole person will look pale and without any spiritual energy.
3. Edema
The edema of the body is related to the functional lesions of the left heart and tricuspid valve, and the patient's tricuspid valve insufficiency will cause the blood to flow back to the heart, and after reaching the left atrium, it will form congestion in the upper and lower vena cava, affecting the blood circulation outside the body and leading to edema of both lower limbs.
However, there are many factors that can cause edema, such as poor gastrointestinal function, endocrine disorders, and drinking too much water.
If the patient has edema of the lower limbs for no reason in daily life, after ruling out the symptoms caused by other factors, it is necessary to be alert to whether the heart valve is diseased.
4. Coughing up blood
Heart failure can occur when people have severe valvular heart disease.
When the pulmonary valve is stenosis or insufficiency, it will lead to blood backflow or leakage, a large amount of blood will form congestion in the lungs, and in severe cases, it will also induce acute pulmonary edema, which will cause patients to have frequent coughing and coughing up blood.
If you cough up blood, it means that valvular heart disease has progressed.
5. Abdominal distension and abdominal pain
One of the most common manifestations of valvular heart disease is congestion in the gastrointestinal tract, and when the heart valve is narrowed or insufficiently closed, the gastrointestinal tract can be severely impaired.
It will form congestion in the veins in the body and cause abnormal digestive function, and the patient will have indigestion, then there will be abdominal distension and abdominal pain.
6. Angina pectoris
Heart valve lesions caused by aortic stenosis are the most likely to induce angina, and angina pectoris occurs when patients develop angina pectoris due to narrowing of the aorta, which leads to insufficient blood supply to the heart.
This is because the surface of the heart is attached to the coronary arteries, which are the most important blood vessels that supply blood to the heart, and when the coronary arteries are severely ischemia, it may lead to arrhythmia, angina, and in severe cases, myocardial infarction.
What are the complications of heart valve disease?
1. Atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation, also known as atrial fibrillation, is one of the most typical symptoms caused by arrhythmia following a lesion of the heart valves.
Atrial fibrillation is the most likely cause of heart palpitations, but it may also be accompanied by symptoms of difficulty breathing, and in severe cases, blood clots can form, further increasing the risk of heart attack.
2. Blood clots
When thromboembolism occurs, it is likely to lead to a variety of serious diseases, such as limb arterial thrombosis leading to severe limb ischemia resulting in limb necrosis, cerebral thrombosis will lead to limb hemiplegia, slurred speech, etc., and even loss of self-care.
3. Acute pulmonary edema
Acute pulmonary edema is also one of the most serious complications of valvular heart disease, which may lead to atrial fibrillation, arrhythmias, and eventually acute pulmonary edema after strenuous exercise or emotional agitation.
4. Heart failure
Heart failure is the main symptom of advanced disease, and valvular heart disease not only affects the normal blood circulation of the heart, but also increases the burden on the heart, and secondly, the heart tissue can be severely damaged after suffering from the disease.
This further induces heart failure, which is often the leading cause of death.
How is valvular heart disease treated?
1. Medication
When suffering from heart valve disease, some anticoagulant drugs, vasodilator drugs and anti-arrhythmic drugs can also be used for treatment, and the heart should be checked regularly during the process of taking the medicine, and the dosage should be adjusted according to your own situation.
2. Surgical treatment
If the condition is severe and cannot be effectively improved by medication, then surgery can be performed.
Valvular heart disease can be treated well with valvuloplasty, heart valve replacement, and catheter balloon dilation.
However, you should not blindly choose surgical treatment, and you should still listen to the doctor's advice. There are pros and cons to surgery, so it's important to choose carefully.
epilogue
In short, when there is chest tightness and shortness of breath, edema, dizziness and fatigue, coughing up blood or angina, it is necessary to check in time to prevent the occurrence of heart valve disease.
If you suffer from heart valve disease, do not panic, find a way to treat it in time, and you can recover your health as soon as possible according to the doctor's advice for medication or surgery.