The human heart consists of four chambers; the right and left atria---the upper chambers---that receive blood and the right and left ventricles---the lower chambers---that pump blood. Heart valves reside between the atria and the ventricles, as well as between the ventricles and the major arteries, to ensure that blood flows in one direction. Heart valves contain thin flaps, known as leaflets, that open and close as the heart rhythmically contracts. Conditions that affect the heart valves, such as bacterial infections or trauma, can damage the heart valves and cause them to tear.
Rheumatic Fever
Strep throat, a common throat infection, can become dangerous if left untreated. The streptococcus bacteria can travel through the bloodstream to cause inflammation in other parts of the body, usually the joints and the heart, a condition known as rheumatic fever.
Rheumatic fever causes joint pain, fever, chest pain, heart palpitations, uncontrolled movements and a rash, according to the Merck Manual. The inflammation within the heart can damage the heart valves causing rheumatic heart disease. Rheumatic heart disease, a condition that can last for life, remains a leading cause of cardiovascular death in developing countries, according to the American Heart Association. The damage to the heart valves can cause them to narrow, increasing the risk for a torn valve due to increased pressure in the heart.
Infective Endocarditis
Infective endocarditis describes an infection, usually caused by either bacteria or fungi, that causes inflammation in the inside lining of the heart. This inflammation affects the heart valves, causing damage that leads to heart valve regurgitation. Heart valve regurgitation, also known as valvular insufficiency, occurs when the leaflets of the valves fail to close completely, allowing blood to flow backward, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Severe damage to the heart valves increases the amount of blood flowing backward and can lead to complications including heart failure and death. The damage to the valve increases the workload on the heart as it works to try to pump all the blood from the ventricle. This increases stress on the heart.
Trauma
Trauma, or injury, to the heart can occur due to an accident or a heart attack. Accidents such as serious car accidents can physically damage the heart, resulting in a tear in a heart valve. A heart attack, a condition that occurs when the blood flow to the heart becomes restricted, causes the death of cells in the heart muscle.
As the leading cause of death for men and women, a heart attack requires prompt treatment to prevent permanent heart damage, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Cell death that occurs in or near the heart valve can damage the heart valve. The death of cells within the heart interferes with its ability to contract, which increases the strain on the heart. This increased stress on the heart can cause the damaged valve to tear.
