Heart Valve Disease
Heart Valve Disease is a condition in which one or more of the heart’s four valves—mitral, aortic, tricuspid, and pulmonary—do not function properly. These valves are responsible for ensuring unidirectional blood flow through the heart and into the body. When they are damaged or diseased, they may not open or close fully, leading to either obstructed blood flow (stenosis) or backward leakage of blood (regurgitation or insufficiency). Some people may have both problems in the same valve or in different valves at once.
Heart valve disease can be congenital (present at birth) or acquired later in life due to infections (like rheumatic fever or infective endocarditis), age-related degeneration, calcification, radiation exposure, or as a consequence of other cardiovascular conditions. The most commonly affected valves are the mitral and aortic valves on the left side of the heart.Diagnosis involves listening to the heart with a stethoscope for murmurs, followed by tests like echocardiography (ultrasound of the heart), ECG, chest X-ray, and sometimes cardiac MRI or cardiac catheterization. The echocardiogram is the gold standard for visualizing valve structure and function.
Treatment depends on the type, severity, and progression of the disease. Mild valve problems may only require regular monitoring, while moderate to severe cases might need medications to manage symptoms and prevent complications. In advanced cases, surgical repair or replacement of the valve may be necessary. Valve replacement can be done using mechanical valves (which last longer but require lifelong blood thinners) or biological valves (made from animal or human tissue and don't require long-term anticoagulation).