Causes Of Valvular Heart Disease
Verlyn Ross
This article is written to remove some of the mystery regarding
valvular heart disease. It is necessarily somewhat complex but
it should be easier to understand than most medical information
that you might receive.
Valvular heart disease or valve disease can even be present at
birth (congenital) or it can develop at any period of time
throughout a persons life span. There are times when the exact
valvular heart disease caauses cannot be discovered. Valvular
heart disease is broken down into congenital valve disease,
bicuspid aortic valve disease, acquired valve disease and mitral
valve prolapse (MVP).
When valve disease is present at birth, it is referred to as
congenital valve disease. This type generally affects the
pulmonic valve or the aortic valve. Sometimes the valves are
simply not the correct size or else the leaflets have not formed
properly.
Bicuspid aortic valve disease is congenital as well and in this
case the bicuspid aortic valve has two cusps or leaflets instead
of the three it is supposed to have. This can cause the valve to
be stiff, leaky or both.
Acquired valve disease is any problem that happens as a result of
once normal valves. Sometimes the makeup of valves change as a
result of infections or diseases. Rheumatic fever causes the
heart valve to become red and inflamed and the leaflets to cling
together. This then leads to the heart valves becoming
unnecessarily thickened, shortened, rigid and scarred. This can
then lead to mitral regurgitation. Rheumatic fever often occurs
as a result of a bacterial infection, one of the most common
being strep throat. However the vast array of antibiotics that
are available today have greatly reduced the incidence of this
infection.
Another disease that can cause acquired valve disease is
endocarditis. This disease happens when bacteria and germs make
their way into the bloodstream and then begin to invade the
valves of the heart. This attack causes growths to begin in the
heart valves as well as holes to take place. This can then lead
to scarring of the heart valves. Leaky valves end up being the
result of all of this. Germs that cause endocarditis can come
about as a result of surgery, IV drug use, dental surgery and/or
serious types of infections. Anyone who suffers from valve
disease (excluding those who have mitral valve prolapse) is at a
terrible risk of getting endocarditis, which can be fatal if not
treated immediately.
Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is very widespread and affects on
average one to two percent of the American population on an
annual basis. This disorder causes the mitral valve leaflets to
fall back into the left atrium while the heart is contracting.
MVP also makes the valve tissues become strange in shape and they
become stretchy and cause seepage. It is rare for MVP to bring on
any symptoms at all with a patient and most of the time it does
not necessitate any kind of special medical treatment.
The above diseases and disorders are the most common causes of
MVP but there are other causes as well. A visit to the doctor and
a variety of tests should help pinpoint the exact cause of valve
disease if you are diagnosed with it. Other causes include
coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy (or heart muscle
disease), heart attack, hypertension, aortic aneurysms,
connective tissue diseases, and sexually transmitted disease (the
most common being syphilis). There are also less common reasons
for valve disease such as tumors, radiation and an assortment of
drug treatments.
Verlyn Ross owns and operates a website dedicated specifically to providing
health and fitness information. It includes a wealth of free articles in
which you may have an interest. For a great place to get Answers, go here!
http://www.achieve-health-fitness.com
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