Specifically, mitral valve disease indicates either mitral stenosis or mitral regurgitation. Mitral stenosis has been linked to rheumatic fever or any complication causing inflammation of the heart, such as streptococci infection, states Leonard...
Symptoms of mitral valve stenosis--the narrowing of your heart's mitral valve, causing an abnormal blood flow--can be minimized and relieved to some extent through a combination of medication and diet. Your doctor may prescribe diuretics to reduce...
Being able to identify common symptoms of mitral valve stenosis allows you to diagnose this potentially serious heart condition and begin to undergo treatment. People who have mitral stenosis have a narrowing in the mitral valve, which prevents...
Being diagnosed with a heart condition can be alarming, but mitral valve prolapse is one that usually isn't serious. Only about 2 percent of people with the condition -- in which the heart's mitral valve doesn't close properly -- develop...
Mitral valve stenosis is a heart condition that can cause potentially serious complications like pulmonary edema, blood clots and cardiovascular failure. While the disorder is normally caused by severe infections or heart defects present from...
Some people who have mitral valve stenosis--a narrowing of the mitral valve in your heart that impedes normal blood flow--are asymptomatic or have very minor symptoms for a time. Learn about the symptoms of mitral stenosis so you can monitor your...
Mitral valve prolapse occurs when flaps of a heart valve don’t close tightly, allowing blood to leak from the ventricle, which receives blood and pumps it into the arteries. The blood may leak back into the atrium, an upper chamber of the...
Mitral valve prolapse, also known as MVP, occurs in up to 5 percent of the general population and in 10 percent of young women, according to "Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment." It affects the valve that helps the blood flow in the left side...
Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a very common condition. In the past, many patients (especially women) were told they had MVP if they had palpitations of any form of anxiety. In fact, many people who had echocardiograms done for palpitations or...
The job of the heart is to pump blood through a series of vessels in a unidirectional manner. Blood is sent to the lungs for oxygen, returns to the heart, and is then directed to the body cells. For the circulatory system to function correctly,...
The heart’s valves help direct blood flow into and out of the heart in one direction. When functioning properly, these valves open and close shut completely. However, malfunction resulting from birth defects, infection and age-related...
Disorders related to abnormal heart valve functions fall into two main groups. The first group includes disorders that cause narrowing of the valve, during which the process of opening and closing fail, and obstruct the forward flow of blood...
Fatigue is a common symptom in many illnesses and daily routines. It becomes a concern when it is not relieved by rest, good nutrition and a reduction in the stress level. A sudden onset of extreme fatigue from an unknown cause indicates the need...
A leaky heart valve can result from genetic factors or from acquired injury to your heart. Common acquired causes of heart valve dysfunction include high blood pressure and heart attacks. While some degree of exercise is important to prevent...
Your heart is the most important organ in your body when it comes to all types of physical exercise. Without it beating up to 200 strokes a minute, your muscles' oxygen demands could not be met. The heart is a complex pump featuring four chambers...
Hydralazine is a prescription medication indicated to help lower blood pressure levels in hypertensive patients. This medication is administered as an intravenous or intramuscular injection and works by relaxing the smooth muscles responsible for...
The tricuspid valve sits between the right atrium and the right ventricle. Blood returning to the lungs for oxygenation must traverse the tricuspid valve on its way to the pulmonary artery. The right side of the heart is a low pressure system....
The heart has four valves: the tricuspid valve, the mitral valve, the pulmonic valve and the aortic valve. The opening and closing of heart valves produces audible sounds that can be heard with a stethoscope. When heart valves do not operate...
Heart conditions affect children, adolescents, young adults and seniors. Congenital heart defects may show up at birth, or they may manifest later in life. Heart disease is any condition that affects the normal function of the heart's rhythm and...
Swollen feet often occur as a result of a condition called peripheral edema. Peripheral edema is the accumulation of fluid in the body tissues of the lower limbs. Although swollen feet may not seem like a serious condition, peripheral edema is...
Cardiac abnormalities have many causes including structural defects, electrical conduction problems, and infectious processes. Although some cardiac abnormalities can occur at any time of life, many are present at birth. The American Heart...
Heart palpitations are defined by MayoClinic.com as rapid, fluttering or pounding heartbeats. During a heart palpitation, the heart is beating abnormally, but adequate amounts of blood are still being pumped effectively. Although the abnormal...
Each of the heart’s four valves--aortic, pulmonary, mitral and tricuspid--is susceptible to developing problems. Sometimes, the pathway through the valve may narrow, resulting in a condition called stenosis. Alternatively, the valve may fail...
The World Health Organization reports that more people die from cardiovascular diseases than any other cause with about 17 million deaths in 2004. The projected total of deaths worldwide by 2030 is more than 23 million. Diseases and afflictions of...
The valves in the heart are located between the four chambers and keep the blood flowing in the right direction. These valves can be damaged from heart disease, congenital defect, injury or from infection. These types of damage can lead to...
There are several conditions that may cause heart pain. According to the U.S. Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, any organ or tissue in the chest cavity can be a source of pain, including the nerves, tendons, ribs, muscles,...
Heart valve disease and conditions affect one or more of the four valves in the heart called the tricuspid, pulmonary, mitral and aortic valves. Heart valve malfunctions can occur due to disease, infection or defects that are present since birth,...
If you're considering beginning an exercise routine, good for you: Exercise, along with a healthy diet, is one of the best ways to stay healthy for life. However, if you have a "leaky" heart valve -- caused by any number of valvular heart diseases...
The symptoms of fatigue, shortness of breath, and dizziness can seem harmless when they present as individual symptoms. Everyone will feel one or more of these symptoms at some point in their lives. When these symptoms occur together, however,...
Mitral stenosis is a vavular heart disease denoting the narrowing of the heart's mitral valve. Learn more about mitral stenosis and the heart in this health video.
Endocarditis is an inflammation of the endocardium, the inner layer of the heart, including the heart valves. Learn more about endocarditic in this health video.