Valvulopathies are diseases that affect the heart valves, causing them to not function properly.
The 4 heart valves are: the tricuspid, mitral, pulmonary and aortic valve, which open and close whenever the heart beats, allowing blood circulation. When these valves are injured, two types of problems can arise:
- Stenosis: when the valve does not open properly, preventing the passage of blood;
- Insufficiency: When the valve does not close properly, causing blood to flow back.
Rheumatic fever can cause rheumatic valvulopathy, which can occur due to birth defects in the heart valves, changes related to age, endocarditis or lupus.
The symptoms of valvulopathies are the presence of heart murmurs, fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain or swelling. Many individuals have valvulopathies, but have no symptoms, nor do they have any type of heart problem. However, in other individuals, valvulopathy may worsen slowly throughout life, leading to serious heart problems such as heart failure, stroke, blood clots, or sudden death from cardiorespiratory arrest.
The goal of treatment of valvulopathies is to reduce the progression of heart failure and prevent complications. The cardiologist is the specialist indicated to diagnose and indicate the best treatment for the individual with valvulopathy.
Aortic Valvulopathy
Aortic valve disease is an injury to the aortic valve, located on the left side of the heart, which allows blood to pass between the left ventricle and the aortic artery. Symptoms of the disease worsen over time, and in the early stages may be palpitations and shortness of breath, whereas in the more advanced stages heart failure, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, angina pectoris and nausea may occur.
Treatment consists of resting, non-salt feeding and use of diuretic, digitalis and antiarrhythmic medicines. In more severe cases, surgery may be necessary to replace the aortic valve.
Mitral valve disease
Mitral valvulopathy is the most common and arises due to lesions in the mitral valve, which is located between the ventricle and the left atrium of the heart. The most common symptoms of this disease may be feeling of shortness of breath, coughing, fatigue, nausea, palpitations and onset of swelling in the feet and legs.
Some medications such as diuretics, anticoagulants, antibiotics and antiarrhythmics are indicated in the treatment of the disease because they regulate the frequency and the cardiac function. Damaged valve repair through cardiac catheterization and surgical replacement of the valve with a prosthesis can be used as treatment in the most severe cases.
Pulmonary valvulopathy
Pulmonary valvulopathy arises due to lesions in the pulmonary valve that is located on the right side of the heart and allows the passage of blood from the heart to the lung. This disease is less frequent and is usually due to birth defects.
The symptoms of the disease only arise in advanced states and may be swelling of the legs, muscle fatigue, shortness of breath and episodes of stopping the heart. The treatment always consists of surgery to treat the injury or replace the valve.
Tricuspid valvulopathy
Tricuspid valvulopathy occurs in the tricuspid valve located between the ventricle and the right atrium that allows the passage of blood between these two sites of the heart. Tricuspid valvulopathies usually arise due to infections such as rheumatic fever or endocarditis and pulmonary arterial hypertension.
The most common symptoms of this disease are weight gain, swelling of the legs, tummy ache, tiredness and, in more advanced cases, feeling of shortness of breath, palpitations and angina pectoris. Your treatment is the use of diuretic medications, antibiotics, and in severe cases, surgery may be needed to repair or replace the valve.
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