Valvular Heart Disease
What is valvular heart disease?
The heart has four chambers. The two upper chambers are called the left and right atrium, and the two lower chambers are called the left and right ventricle. The four valves at the exit of each chamber maintain one-way continuous flow of blood through the heart to the lungs and the rest of the body.
The four valves are the tricuspid valve, pulmonary valve, mitral valve and aortic valve.
- Oxygen-poor blood coming into your heart from your body flows into the right atrium. The tricuspid valve is the valve between the right atrium and the right ventricle. It opens so blood can be pumped to the right ventricle.
- The pulmonary valve controls blood flow between the right ventricle and the lungs. It opens to let the heart pumps blood out of the ventricles into the pulmonary artery toward the lungs so it can pick up oxygen. The oxygen-rich blood flows back from the lungs into the left atrium.
- The mitral valve lies between the left atrium and the left ventricle. It opens so the oxygen-rich blood from the left atrium can be pumped into the left ventricle.
- The aortic valve controls blood flow from the left ventricle into the aorta (the main artery in your body). When this valve opens, the oxygen-rich blood is pumped to the aorta and then out to fuel the rest of your body.
In between each step, the valve closes to prevent blood from flowing backwards and mixing oxygen-poor blood with oxygen-rich blood. The one-way continuous flow of blood delivers oxygen throughout your body.
Heart valve disease occurs when one or more of the heart valves do not open or close properly. When it affects more than one heart valve, it is called multiple valvular heart disease.
- Stenosis is when the valve opening becomes narrow and restricts blood flow.
- Prolapse is when a valve slips out of place or the valve flaps (leaflets) do not close properly.
- Regurgitation is when blood leaks backward through a valve, sometimes due to prolapse.
Heart valve disease can be classified as mild, moderate or severe. It can lead to an enlarged heart or heart failure. Heart failure is a serious medical condition where the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s need for oxygen.
Many valvular heart diseases can be treated with medication, or surgery and other procedures to repair or replace the valve.
The four valves are the tricuspid valve, pulmonary valve, mitral valve and aortic valve.
- Oxygen-poor blood coming into your heart from your body flows into the right atrium. The tricuspid valve is the valve between the right atrium and the right ventricle. It opens so blood can be pumped to the right ventricle.
- The pulmonary valve controls blood flow between the right ventricle and the lungs. It opens to let the heart pumps blood out of the ventricles into the pulmonary artery toward the lungs so it can pick up oxygen. The oxygen-rich blood flows back from the lungs into the left atrium.
- The mitral valve lies between the left atrium and the left ventricle. It opens so the oxygen-rich blood from the left atrium can be pumped into the left ventricle.
- The aortic valve controls blood flow from the left ventricle into the aorta (the main artery in your body). When this valve opens, the oxygen-rich blood is pumped to the aorta and then out to fuel the rest of your body.
In between each step, the valve closes to prevent blood from flowing backwards and mixing oxygen-poor blood with oxygen-rich blood. The one-way continuous flow of blood delivers oxygen throughout your body.
Heart valve disease occurs when one or more of the heart valves do not open or close properly. When it affects more than one heart valve, it is called multiple valvular heart disease.
- Stenosis is when the valve opening becomes narrow and restricts blood flow.
- Prolapse is when a valve slips out of place or the valve flaps (leaflets) do not close properly.
- Regurgitation is when blood leaks backward through a valve, sometimes due to prolapse.
Heart valve disease can be classified as mild, moderate or severe. It can lead to an enlarged heart or heart failure. Heart failure is a serious medical condition where the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s need for oxygen.
Many valvular heart diseases can be treated with medication, or surgery and other procedures to repair or replace the valve.
Information taken from https://www.heartandstroke.ca/heart/conditions/valvular-heart-disease
Discussion (0)
There are no comments for this doc yet.
Comment posting has been disabled on this doc.