valve Archives - Upopolis

Valvular Stenosis

Anatomy of the Heart

The heart has four chambers. The two upper chambers are called the left and right atriums, and the two lower chambers are called the left and right ventricles. There is a valve at the exit of each chamber that ensures one-way continuous flow of blood through the heart.

The four valves are the tricuspid valve, pulmonary valve, mitral valve and aortic valve. These valves open and close to prevent blood from flowing backwards.

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 pump 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.

Stenosis

Stenosis is when the valve opening becomes narrow and restricts blood flow.

Tricuspid valve stenosis: If your tricuspid valve narrows, blood is not able to fully move from the right atrium to the right ventricle. This can cause the atrium to enlarge, affecting pressure and blood flow in the surrounding chambers and veins. It can also cause the right ventricle to become smaller, so less blood circulates to your lungs to pick up oxygen.
Pulmonary valve stenosis: If your pulmonary valve narrows, the flow of oxygen-poor blood from the right ventricle through the pulmonary arteries to the lungs is restricted. This affects your blood’s ability to pick up oxygen and deliver oxygen-rich blood to the rest of your body. With pulmonary valve stenosis, the right ventricle has to work harder to pump blood through the narrowed pulmonary valve and the pressure in the heart is often increased.
Mitral valve stenosis: When the mitral valve narrows, blood flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle is reduced. This can cause fatigue and shortness of breath because the volume of blood carrying oxygen from the lungs is reduced. Pressure from the blood that has stayed in the left atrium can cause the atrium to enlarge and fluid to build up in the lungs.
Aortic valve stenosis: When the aortic valve narrows, blood flow from your heart to your aorta (the main artery to your body) and onwards to the rest of your body is restricted. As a result, the left ventricle has to contract harder to try to push blood across the aortic valve. This can often lead to thickening of the left ventricle (left vernacular hypertrophy) which eventually makes the heart less efficient.

Causes

Valvular heart disease can develop before or at birth (congenital causes) or normal valves may become damaged during one’s lifetime (acquired causes). The cause of valvular heart disease is not always known.

Symptoms

Many people do not notice any symptoms until their blood flow has been significantly reduced by valvular heart disease. Symptoms can include:

Chest discomfort, pressure or tightness (angina)
Palpitations (irregular or rapid heartbeats caused by problems with the heart’s electrical system) can sometimes be a symptom of valvular heart disease. Your heart may be working harder.
Shortness of breath – especially when you are active. Valvular heart disease reduces the amount of oxygen available to fuel your body and that causes breathlessness.
Fatigue or weakness. You may find it harder to do routine activities such as walking or housework.
Light-headedness, dizziness or near fainting (most common with aortic stenosis).
Swelling can occur when valve problems cause blood to back up in other parts of the body, leading to fluid buildup and swollen abdomen, feet and ankles.

If you don’t have many symptoms or if they are mild and not affecting you too much, your doctor may choose to monitor your condition carefully and wait until it is necessary to treat your symptoms. It is important to understand that the symptoms of valvular heart disease may not necessarily reflect the seriousness of the problem. Regular check-ups are recommended.

Treatment

Treatment will depend on the severity of your disease! If it’s minor, you may not need treatment at all. You and your doctor will discuss your options based on your condition.

Options include:

Medication: It cannot cure stenosis, but it may relieve the symptoms.
Surgeries or other procedures: Such as valve repair or replacement.
Lifestyle changes: Such as being smoke-free, active, a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet.

Krista Upop Manager November 13, 2020 Comments Closed 64 views 0 likes

Congenital Heart Defects

What is congenital heart disease?

Congenital heart disease is a heart condition you are born with. The word congenital means “present at birth.” Congenital heart disease can range from very minor conditions which never cause problems, to more serious conditions that require treatment.

A congenital heart defect happens when the chambers, walls or valves of your heart – or the blood vessels near the heart – don’t develop normally before birth. There are many different types of defects listed below.

1. Holes in the heart (septal defects)

When a baby is born with an abnormal opening in the wall that separates the right and left chambers of the heart (the septum), blood can leak between the chambers instead of flowing normally to the rest of the body. This may cause the heart to become enlarged.

The most common holes in the heart are:

Atrial septal defect (ASD) Normally, oxygen-rich blood that’s already been to the lungs flows from the left atrium to the left ventricle, out the aorta and to the body. An abnormal opening between the right and left atria (the upper chambers of the heart) allows some blood from the left atrium to leak back into the right atrium. Your heart has to work extra hard to move the extra blood out to the lungs. The seriousness of the problem depends on the size of the opening.
Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is one type of atrial septal defect. The hole between the left and right atria usually closes within the first few years of life. Even if it doesn’t close, the hole may not cause any complications unless you have a second heart defect. PFOs are very common and many people will never know they have one.
Ventricular septal defect (VSD) If there is a hole between your right and left ventricles, oxygen-rich blood returning from your lungs leaks from the left ventricle into the right ventricle instead of being pumped into the aorta and out to the rest of your body. Depending on the size of the opening, you may need surgery to close the hole.

2. Obstruction of blood flow

Stenosis is a narrowing or obstruction in heart valves, arteries or veins that affects the flow of blood. Atresia is when a passageway in the body is abnormally shut or has not formed properly. Different types of stenosis and atresia can partly or completely block blood flow in the heart.

Pulmonary valve stenosis If your pulmonary valve narrows, the flow of oxygen-poor blood from the right ventricle through the pulmonary arteries to your lungs is restricted. This interferes with the blood’s ability to pick up oxygen and deliver it to the rest of your body. The right ventricle has to work harder to pump blood through the narrowed pulmonary valve and the pressure in the heart is often increased.
Pulmonary atresia The pulmonary valve lets blood flow from the right ventricle to the lungs via the pulmonary artery. In pulmonary atresia, the pulmonary valve does not form properly and it remains closed at birth. Blood is not able to flow properly to the lungs to get oxygenated. If left untreated, this condition is fatal. Visit About Kid’s Health to learn more.
Tricuspid atresia The tricuspid valve controls blood flow between the right atrium and the right ventricle. In tricuspid atresia, the valve does not form properly and there is no opening between these two chambers. Blood is not able to flow from the right atrium into the right ventricle and then onto the lungs, to get oxygenated. If left untreated, this condition is fatal. Visit About Kid’s Health to learn more.
Aortic stenosis When the aortic valve narrows, blood flow is restricted from the heart through the main artery to your body (aorta) and onwards to the rest of the body. As a result, the left ventricle has to contract harder to push blood across the aortic valve. This eventually weakens the heart muscle and makes your heart less efficient. Surgery may be necessary. Aortic stenosis can be treated, but life-long follow-up will be needed.
Coarctation of the aorta This is the narrowing of the largest artery in the body. When the aorta is pinched or constricted, the flow of blood to the lower part of the body is reduced and blood pressure above the constriction is increased. The heart is forced to pump harder in order to deliver enough blood to the rest of your body. Coarctation of the aorta can range from mild to severe. It usually occurs with other heart defects. The condition can be treated, but life-long follow-up will be needed.
Patent ductus arteriosus The ductus arteriosus is a passageway for blood between the aorta and pulmonary artery that normally closes a few days after birth. If it fails to close properly, too much blood flows to the lungs. The condition is common in premature babies, but rare in full-term babies. How serious it is depends on how large the opening is and how premature the baby is. In some circumstances an open ductus is necessary for survival – where blood flow is blocked, or if the blood vessels supplying the lungs and body are switched (transposition of the great arteries).
Medication in the first few weeks of life can either close (or keep open) the ductus arteriosus. As your baby gets older and if the medication isn’t working, the ductus can be closed off using a cardiac catheterization procedure. This will restore normal circulation.
Blue babies (cyanotic defects) When blood that is pumped from the lungs and heart to the body contains less-than-normal amounts of oxygen, it causes a blue discoloration of the skin, lips, gums, nail beds, and the areas around the eyes and mouth (cyanosis). There are several different conditions that can lead to a blue baby.
- Tetralogy of fallot is a combination of four defects that make the level of oxygen in the blood too low:
  - A large hole in the wall between the two ventricles allows some oxygen-rich blood to be pumped to the right side of the heart instead of to the rest of the body through the aorta. (See ventricular septal defect above.)
  - A narrowing of the pulmonary valve can block the flow of blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs. (See pulmonary valve stenosis above.)
  - A more-muscular-than-normal right ventricle can cause the heart muscle to become stiff over time, eventually making the heart weak (right ventricular hypertrophy).
  - An aorta that lies directly over the right ventricle allows a mixture of oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood to flow into the aorta (overriding aorta).
- Transposition of the great arteries In this condition, your baby’s pulmonary artery and the aorta are reversed. Their aorta is connected to the right ventricle, so most of the blood returning to the heart from the body is pumped back out to their body without first getting oxygen from the lungs. The pulmonary artery is connected to the left ventricle, so that most of the oxygen-rich blood returning from their lungs goes back to the lungs again. The condition is often detected during the first week of life and can be corrected with surgery during your baby’s first month.
  Other defects between the right and left sides of the heart often co-exist with transposition of the great arteries. An atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect or ductus arteriosus can actually help oxygenated blood circulate to the body.
- Ebstein’s anomaly The tricuspid valve controls blood flow between the right atrium and the right ventricle. Ebstein’s anomaly is a rare condition in which the tricuspid valve is located lower than normal and has abnormal flaps (leaflets). This can cause blood to leak backwards through the valve and prevent the heart from working efficiently. This causes the ventricle to be too small and the atrium to be too large. Many children with Ebstein’s anomaly have mild cases that don’t cause symptoms. If your child’s tricuspid valve is leaking badly, heart valve surgery may be necessary.
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome Children born with this syndrome have an underdeveloped left side of their heart.
- The left ventricle is underdeveloped and too small.
- The mitral valve is not formed or too small.
- The aortic valve is not formed or too small.
- A part of the aorta (the ascending aorta) is underdeveloped or too small.
Children with this condition often have an atrial septal defect as well (see above).
Information taken from https://www.heartandstroke.ca/heart/conditions/congenital-heart-disease

Jes Upop Coordinator . February 1, 2020 Comments Closed 137 views 0 likes