Mitral valve regurgitation can be understood by everyone.
Mitral regurgitation of 1 degree. For people far from medicine, this statement sounds like abracadabra. But in fact, the main essence of this process can be understood by an ordinary person.
Mitral regurgitation and valve prolapse
The mitral valve is the cusp that separates the left ventricle from the atrium of the "main blood pump" of the body. Regurgitation is a reverse flow, moving in the direction opposite to the main one. So, what does mitral valve regurgitation (its insufficiency) mean? This is the occurrence of a reverse flow of blood through the heart valve.
Any pathology has its own reasons. In this case, the possibility of changing the direction of the blood flow gives the formation of a gap during the transition from the left atrium to the ventricle. This means that the mitral valve does not fit snugly due to sagging (protrusion) of the sash. The lesion is called prolapse. This change in the heart can be congenital or acquired.
It may seem strange to many that with such a variety of valves (aortic, tricuspid, pulmonary valve), attention is paid specifically to the mitral. This is not surprising. This heart valve is the most stressed. This means that the development of prolapse will be more likely.
Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment methods
Only a small number of patients with protrusion of the sash feel pain in the region of the heart, interruptions or an increase in heart rate, and some other more active symptoms (for example, shortness of breath, migraine). Most people do not notice this pathology. Therefore, it is detected by chance during an ultrasound of the heart.
Depending on the size of the gap, the degree of prolapse is determined (three options). Although it does not have much significance. The degree of regurgitation accompanying a pathological change in the valve is of concern.
Its level is determined by a number of additional studies of the heart. The most effective method in these cases is Doppler echocardiography, which directly determines the return flow of blood. Mitral regurgitation of 1 degree, 2 degrees or its absence is subjected only to observation or by conservative correction methods, if necessary (for example, in the case of increased reverse blood flow). As well as limiting physical and psychological stress.
If a significant pathological change in heart function is detected , and not regurgitation of the 1st degree of the mitral valve, then more drastic measures are taken (up to surgical intervention). Of course, all actions are aimed not at reducing the volume of the return flow of blood through the valves, but at combating mitral valve prolapse and the factors that caused this morphological change in the valves or reducing their functionality.
Causes of valve prolapse
The reasons for which this pathology of the heart occurs:
- Leading to primary prolapse. Hereditary anomaly of the valve structure or congenital morphological changes in its tissues.
- Leading to secondary (acquired) prolapse. Circumstances leading to inflammation, rupture, or morphological alteration of the tendon chords that hold the valve cusps. As well as the separation of the valves themselves, damage to the papillary muscles (in this case, more than 80% of deaths) and other pathological changes in the heart. For example, chest injuries, myocardial infarction, rheumatism, infectious endocarditis and other diseases.
Accordingly, it is possible to present the above-considered factors of the occurrence of prolapse as circumstances under which mitral regurgitation of the first degree and other types most likely appears.
Due to the fact that valve prolapse, and hence mitral regurgitation of the 1st degree, can progress, modern medicine is changing dramatically the attitude to these heart pathologies. If earlier any abnormalities or minimal changes in the heart were not worth much attention, now the situation has changed. This is greatly influenced by new discoveries in the field of cardiology and an increase in the number of cardiovascular diseases.