WHAT IS MITRAL VALVE REGURGITATION?

 


Mitral Valve Regurgitation is a condition when the blood flowing through the heart to different body parts does not flow in the correct direction. When our heart pumps blood it follows a specific path to reach an entire body part. When the Mitral Valve that is present between the 2 chambers on the left side of the heart does not close tightly it may lead to backward flow of blood into the heart. It reduces the efficiency of the heart and gives rise to different valvular diseases. Mitral Valve Regurgitation is also known as Mitral Insufficiency or Mitral Incompetence.

SYMPTOMS:

If one is suffering from mild MVR, then they may not notice any symptom but if the condition gets severe or worst these symptoms may be seen-

·       Swelling in feet and ankle

·       Drowsiness or tiredness

·       Hovering heartbeat

·       Uneasy breathing

·       Unusual heart sound

CAUSES:

·       When the lining of the heart gets infected which is known as endocarditis may cause damage to the Mitral Valve.

·       Rheumatic fever which occurs when your strep throat is not treated properly may also lead to damage in Mitral Valve sooner or later in life.

·       The wear and tear of all the tissue cords present in the heart may cause a leaky heart valve.

·       The bulging of the mitral valve into the left atrium is known as mitral valve prolapse.

TREATMENT:

The treatment of mitral valve regurgitation wholly depends upon the severity of the condition. If the patient is suffering from a mild leakage with no symptoms then doctors do not prescribe any medication other than normal checkups.

But if the condition is getting worse then doctors advise immediate surgery or repair of the faulty valve. The choice of the artificial valve depends upon factors such as the age and health condition of the patient. Post-surgery the patients are kept on blood-thinning medication such as WARFARIN for avoiding the formation of major blood clots which are life-threatening. For maintaining the doses of WARFARIN patients are advised to regularly monitor their PT/INR level. If the leaky valve is left untreated it may directly lead to a heart attack.

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