Introduction
In a world full of rich foods, fast foods, less exercise, etc, heart diseases are becoming more and more common. The heart is a very sensitive and important region of the body. A single change can affect the entire body as a whole. Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in America, killing up to and over 600 000 people per year. Heart valve disease is only one of these conditions, but it is certainly one of the most dangerous. It is a serious condition that can be fatal if not treated properly.
Brief Description of the Heart
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There are 4 chambers in the heart. The right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium, left ventricle. Deoxygenated blood from the body flows to the right atrium. It passes through the first heart valve, the tricuspid valve. It then continues into the right ventricle. This blood is then pushed out through the pulmonary valve, and into the pulmonary artery, which leads to the lungs. The blood is oxygenated there, and returns to the left atrium. There, it passes through the Mitral valve and into the left ventricle. The blood is then pushed out of the aortic valve and into the aorta, which splits up and carries blood to the rest of the body. This cycle is repeated over and over again. Therefore, there are 4 valves in total. The atrioventricular valves (tricuspid and mitral) and the semi-lunar valves (pulmonary and aortic).
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What is Heart Valve Disease?
Heart Valve disease is when there is a problem with the valves of the heart. There are 2 basic types of heart valve disease: Valvular Stenosis and Valvular Insufficiency.
Valvular Stenosis
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Stenosis is when the heart valve is too small or tight. May happen due to stiffness or if the flaps are fused together. As a result it limits blood flow, and the heart has to work much harder than normal, which leads to many other dangerous symptoms, such as heart failure. All 4 valves can be affected.
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Valvular Insufficiency
Insufficiency is also known as "regurgitation", or "leaky valve". This occurs when the heart valve is not able to close tightly enough, causing blood to back flow. This can cause fatigue, as not enough blood is delivered to the body. The heart also has to work extra hard, which has other dangerous symptoms. All 4 valves can be affected.
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