Heart valve disease describes a disorder in the heart that occurs when at least one of the four heart valves fails to function properly, interfering with the circulation of blood. The four heart valves--the mitral valve, the tricuspid valve, the pulmonic valve and the aortic valve--allow blood to flow in one direction between the four chambers of the heart and the connecting arteries. Heart valve disease adds strain on the heart and reduces blood flow to the body, which can result in reduced quality of life and life-threatening conditions, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Medications
Although medications will not cure heart valve disease or fix a damaged heart valve, certain types of medications can help relieve the symptoms, easing the strain on the heart and protecting the valve from further damage. Doctors prescribe medications classified as calcium channel blockers, such as amlodipine or diltiazem, to treat high blood pressure. These medications can also treat heart valve disease because lowering blood pressure reduces the workload on the heart.
Beta blocker medications, such as acebutolol or atenolol, block the effects of the hormone epinephrine, allowing the heart to beat slower and with less force, according to the Mayo Clinic. This allows the blood more time to flow through the faulty valve, relieving symptoms such as heart palpitations.
When valve disease progresses enough to produce the symptoms of heart failure--the condition that occurs when the heart fails to pump enough blood to supply the body--doctors prescribe diuretic medications. Diuretics, such as chlorothiazide or triamterene, help the body expel excess fluid and salts, which reduces the volume of blood flowing through the heart.
Heart Valve Repair
When surgical procedures become necessary, doctors prefer to repair the faulty heart valve rather than replace the valve with an artificial valve. Compared to heart valve replacement, heart valve repair procedures reduce the risk of infection, decrease the need for lifelong blood-thinner medications and preserve the strength of the heart muscle, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Patients with heart valve stenosis, hardening and narrowing of the valve that blocks the normal flow of blood, can undergo a procedure known as commissurotomy. During this procedure, surgeons cut or shave the points where the cusps--the flaps that open and close--meet, known as the commissures. A balloon valvuloplasty can also be performed to help stretch the narrowed valve.
Valves that fail to close properly allow backflow of blood. A procedure called valvuloplasty attaches a ring-like device to the outside of the valve to provide support and permit proper closure, according to the Texas Heart Institute.
Heart Valve Replacement
Heart valve replacement surgery removes the faulty valve and replaces it with a new valve. Two types of replacement valves exist--mechanical valves made of synthetic materials and bioprosthesis valves made from the heart valve of a pig. Mechanical valves require the patient to take anticoagulant medications, but bioprosthesis valves require replacement after 10 to 12 years, according to the Merck Manual. Replacement valves also run the risk of becoming infected, requiring the use of prophylactic antibiotics.
