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Heart valve regurgitation occurs quite commonly with heart-related diseases today. Often, the cases of patients who are not detected early and treated promptly can make the disease progress quickly and cause dangerous complications that can even cause sudden death. So what are the common symptoms of heart valve regurgitation?
1. Problems related to heart valve regurgitation
Cardiovascular disease is often classified as the leading cause of death in the world. Among them, valvular heart disease is quite common. If the patient is not detected in time, the disease can progress faster and have serious complications that seriously affect health.
The heart valve system is composed of components such as mitral valve, tricuspid valve, aortic valve and pulmonary valve. Valve components in the structure of the heart all function to help direct the flow of blood in and out of the body on a one-way principle. The mitral and tricuspid valves will automatically open when blood flows from the atria into the ventricles, and at the same time, the pulmonary and aortic valves will automatically close. In contrast, when the mitral and tricuspid valves close, blood is pumped from the ventricular chambers to the lungs, and the pulmonary and aortic valves open automatically. This action prevents blood from backing up into the two atria.
Heart valve regurgitation - a condition in which the heart valves do not close properly, causing blood flow to back up and back into the chambers of the heart when the heart is performing contractions. So the heart has to work harder to make up for the lack of blood due to reflux. Valve regurgitation is usually divided into 4 types, respectively: Mitral regurgitation with blood reflux from the left ventricle to the left atrium; Tricuspid regurgitation with blood regurgitation from the right ventricle to the right atrium; Aortic regurgitation with blood reflux from the aorta to the left ventricle; in the pulmonary valve in the case of blood reflux from the pulmonary artery to the right ventricle. For patients with regurgitation, there will be a degree of valve regurgitation that can be 1/4, 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4 - the most severe level and accompanied by dangerous complications affecting human health. have this disease.
2. Causes and symptoms of valvular regurgitation
Injuries that can cause the heart valve to open are divided into main groups of causes including congenital causes and those caused by the patient having other diseases. In the case of patients with congenital valvular regurgitation, it may be due to an abnormality of the aortic and mitral valve structure. In case the patient has a valvular condition along with other diseases such as: acquired valvular heart disease due to rheumatism occurs together with the patient's rheumatic condition and this is also considered the disease with the highest rate. Vietnam as well as developing countries.
Acquired valvular disease along with age-related degeneration, the heart valves may become thickened and calcified and fail to perform the closed function when performing a blood transfusion. Regurgitation associated with myocardial infarction or dilated or aneurysm cardiomyopathy, infective endocarditis. Mitral regurgitation due to prolapse or rupture of mitral valve ligament...
What are the symptoms of regurgitation? Valve regurgitation often presents with a variety of symptoms and the condition depends on the degree of valve regurgitation. With valve regurgitation at the lowest level, 1⁄4 patients usually do not detect symptoms of valvular regurgitation. And this heart valve regurgitation usually has little impact on health. However, when the patient's heart valve is at 2/4 level, at this time, the patient will begin to feel short of breath, especially when lying down or performing vigorous activities, or may have episodes of shortness of breath at night. In addition, the patient will feel tired that lasts for many days even when the patient is not physically active, or the heart may beat faster with a continuous palpitations or dry cough and cough more at night. night...
However, in the early stages of 2/4 degree valvular regurgitation, symptoms are often not obvious. But on the contrary, if the regurgitation is at 3⁄4 or higher, the disease has progressed over a long time, many years, and in addition to typical symptoms, there are often cardiovascular-related complications such as heart failure. , arrhythmia. The risk of these complications is much higher for people with grade 4/4
regurgitation.
Cardiovascular diseases, in which there are degrees of heart valve regurgitation such as mitral regurgitation symptoms, tricuspid regurgitation symptoms, can significantly affect the patient's health, even can even threaten human life. The complications associated with this disease are quite diverse, and the most common can be seen in relation to the function and role of the heart in functioning. Furthermore, regurgitation can impair the functions of many other organs in the body. The first is heart failure - a common complication in patients with abnormal heart valves because the heart has to work harder than normal to compensate for the lack of blood. Over time, the chambers of the heart will dilate and lead to heart failure. In addition, there can also be an arrhythmia with an irregular heartbeat, sometimes too fast or sometimes too slow, making the heart rhythm unstable. And cases of arrhythmias account for 80% of sudden deaths. Infectious endocarditis is also a common complication with valve regurgitation, with the backflow of blood from the aorta to the left ventricle causing damage in the endocardium, creating favorable conditions for endocarditis. Bacteria easily penetrate and adhere to cause infection or abscess.
3. Diagnosis and treatment of heart valve regurgitation
Heart valve regurgitation can be diagnosed by clinical examination and may in specific cases need to be performed both clinically and according to the condition as well as the degree of regurgitation. Clinical symptoms can be clearly identified with shortness of breath, chest tightness, fainting or medical history may include congenital diseases, myocardial infarction, trauma... When auscultating the heart. For patients with valvular heart disease, the wind may be heard due to abnormal backflow of blood in the heart.
In order to make an accurate diagnosis to help facilitate the treatment of the disease, the doctor may appoint additional paraclinical tests such as:
Electrocardiogram with this method can be applied to diagnose the symptoms. Present non-specific symptoms of valvular regurgitation with symptoms such as thickened left atrial fibrillation, atrial fibrillation... Chest X-ray to look for enlarged heart, or interstitial edema, alveolar edema... common in open field Acute valvular heart failure or severe heart failure Doppler echocardiography is considered the most important and accurate method for identifying valvular regurgitation. At the same time, it helps to assess the degree of heart valve regurgitation, the impact of the disease on heart function. Moreover, this ultrasound method also helps detect heart-related diseases for the fetus. Cardiac catheterization and angiography help to diagnose cases when other laboratory methods have not been conclusively established. In addition, this method can also help assess heart function or plan for cardiac surgery.
In addition to the application of the above diagnostic methods, the patient may be assigned to perform other tests including magnetic resonance imaging, CT scan, blood biochemical tests... Depending on the condition of the patient The disease will be prescribed and performed by the doctor.
Treatment of regurgitation will depend on the cause of the disease as well as the progression of the disease, there will be a specific method indicated by the doctor. Usually, with mild cases of valvular regurgitation or mild symptoms, it is possible to use some additional drugs prescribed by the doctor such as diuretics or drugs to reduce afterload, or nitrate vasodilators, or anticoagulants, or beta-blockers.... In the case of patients with 2/4 or higher valvular regurgitation, early examination may be necessary to determine the exact cause, and The higher the level, the more the patient needs to be treated aggressively and monitored in detail.
For patients with the most severe progressive condition and degree of valvular regurgitation, the doctor will prescribe the choice of heart surgery or intervention based on the extent of damage to the heart valves. During heart surgery, it is possible to replace the heart valve with some cases, the intervention method can also be used to treat the mitral valve through the catheter.
Heart valve regurgitation is referred to as a disease that has the potential to cause many dangerous complications. Therefore, when detecting signs of this disease, patients should pay attention to follow the treatment regimen of the doctor, adhere to the use of prescription drugs to control the symptoms of the disease, and regularly return for regular check-ups. according to your doctor's appointment. If you have high blood pressure, you need to check your blood pressure regularly to understand the progress of the disease. Because patients with open heart valves and high blood pressure can cause the heart to work harder than usual.
Moreover, people with heart valve disease need to pay attention to a special diet high in salt and fat in their daily meals. These people regularly check blood fat levels can help prevent cardiovascular diseases. In addition, patients should not use coffee, or drinks for alcohol or stimulants. These foods can increase the heart rate and cause arrhythmias. In addition, patients also need to control their weight to avoid situations of overweight, obesity or malnutrition....
The survival prognosis of heart disease, especially heart valve regurgitation, can depend on a lot. factors such as the degree of valvular regurgitation or the type of regurgitation or timing of diagnosis or underlying medical conditions associated with treatments. If the patient is detected and treated in time, it will help the patient overcome the busy situation and prolong life. At the present time, replacing or repairing the heart valve is considered the only way to completely solve the damage of the heart. These methods also carry certain risks and some disadvantages, but taking them can greatly improve the patient's life expectancy.
Patients can also follow a healthy diet that provides adequate nutrients and nutrients to help strengthen resistance, improve human fitness. In addition, it is recommended to maintain healthy habits, exercise, maintain weight, limit the use of tobacco, alcohol....
Cardiovascular patients can choose to be examined and treated at the Hospital. Vinmec International General Hospital. There is a team of Cardiologists, including Professors, Doctors, Specialist 2 doctors, Masters with experience, great reputation in the field of medical treatment, surgery, interventional cardiac catheterization. . Vinmec also focuses on applying advanced techniques in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, using a system of modern medical equipment that meets international standards, helping to improve the efficiency of examination and treatment.
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