What Is a Heart Valve?

Heart valve refers to the valve between the atrium and the ventricle or between the ventricle and the artery. The valve's role in the heart's never-ending blood circulation is both common and critical: the valve acts as a janitor, preventing blood from returning to the atrium (atrioventricular valve) or ventricle (semilunar valve) that just left.

Heart valve

Heart valve finger

Classification: 1. Atrioventricular valve: including mitral valve (located in

Rheumatic heart valvular disease refers to the heart disease that is mainly caused by valvular disease left over from acute rheumatic carditis. After the original smooth, thin, soft and elastic valve was repeatedly inflamed, the valve thickened, adhered, deformed, and shortened and thickened the chordae, resulting in stenosis or incomplete closure of the valve. The disease is more common in young people, more women than men, and about two-thirds of patients have a typical rheumatic disease after a history.

(I) Etiology and Incidence

Patients usually have rheumatism first. Rheumatism is currently considered to be a chronic and recurrent allergic disease, which is related to type A hemolytic streptococcal infection. The disease involving the heart is called rheumatic carditis, which often leaves permanent damage to the heart valve, and progresses with the frequent recurrence of rheumatism, resulting in hemodynamic changes that lead to heart failure and endanger life and health.

(Two) patient performance

Due to the degree and location of valve damage, the patient's performance is also different. The most common damage site is the mitral valve, followed by the aortic valve, as described below:

When mitral valve stenosis occurs, blood from the left atrium does not flow into the left ventricle, and blood in the left main chamber increases and pressure increases, resulting in left atrial hypertrophy and dilation. The pressure of the pulmonary veins and pulmonary capillaries also increases at any time, resulting in dilation and congestion, forming chronic Resistive congestion of the lungs. Patients have difficulty breathing during physical activity, sitting in a sitting position or paroxysmal dyspnea at night, exacerbating cough, often accompanied by hemoptysis, cyanosis, and pulmonary edema (a lot of pink foamy sputum). At this time, it has become left atrial failure. The continued development of the disease leads to pulmonary hypertension, the right ventricle enlarges due to the increased burden, and finally leads to right heart failure, which causes body vein stagnation, liver swelling and pain, subcutaneous edema, and ascites.

Diastolic murmur can be heard on auscultation of the heart. X-ray examination of left atrium and right ventricle enlargement. Electrocardiogram examination can reveal abnormalities such as left atrial and right ventricular hypertrophy.

With mitral regurgitation, left atrial blood volume increases due to blood regurgitation, and left atrial enlargement and hypertrophy. Excessive left atrium blood flows back to the left ventricle during ventricular diastole, causing left ventricular enlargement and hypertrophy, and gradually loses the compensatory function, followed by pulmonary congestion and increased pulmonary artery pressure, which expands the right ventricular hypertrophy. Patients with good cardiac compensation function may have no obvious symptoms. If the compensatory power is lost, the patient may have symptoms of left heart failure such as fatigue, palpitations, and dyspnea after exertion. Finally, there may be signs of right heart failure such as edema and bloating.

Auscultation of the heart may have obvious systolic murmurs. X-ray examination of the left atrium and left ventricle can be enlarged. Electrocardiogram examination can be found abnormally.

Aortic valve insufficiency causes increased left ventricular blood volume, resulting in compensatory dilatation and hypertrophy. Those with mild disease or strong compensation can be asymptomatic for a long time. Patients with obvious lesions may have palpitations, shortness of breath, discomfort in the precardiac area, and head pulsation. A few people have angina pectoris. In severe cases, symptoms of left heart failure may occur.

The blood pressure test showed that the systolic blood pressure increased, the diastolic blood pressure decreased, and capillary pulsations were seen on the lips and nails (light pressure on the nails, the pulse under the nail bed was more obvious). X-ray examination showed that the heart expanded to the lower left and was in the shape of a boot, also known as aortic valve heart. The ECG is normal or abnormal.

When the aortic valve is stenotic, compensatory hypertrophy and dilatation occur due to obstruction of left ventricular blood flow. Severe stenosis can lead to reduced coronary blood flow and insufficient cerebral blood supply. Patients with mild symptoms may have no obvious symptoms, severe cases of dizziness or fainting due to cerebral ischemia, or angina pectoris caused by insufficient coronary blood supply, myocardial hypertrophy, or even sudden death. There may be symptoms of left heart failure at an advanced stage.

Auscultatory aortic valve area may have systolic murmurs. X-ray examination may have left ventricular hypertrophy and enlargement. Electrocardiogram showed abnormal changes.

Combined valvular disease: A patient with two or more valve lesions at the same time is called combined valvular disease. The patient's performance is basically the comprehensive performance of each valve disease.

(Three) family maintenance

Rheumatic heart valve disease has been diagnosed and should be hospitalized. If there is no rheumatism, heart failure, subacute heart failure, and subacute bacterial endocarditis and so on, family care can also be performed under the guidance of a physician.

(Four) matters needing attention

Taking anti-rheumatic drugs can cause gastrointestinal reactions such as nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain in patients. It should be given during meals or at the same time as Weishuping 3 tablets.

If you take digitalis-like heart-tight medicines, you should take them under the guidance of your doctor. If you experience anorexia during taking the medicine, you should stop the medicine immediately and report it to your doctor. Once digitalis poisoning is determined, 10 ml of 10% potassium chloride solution should be taken 3 times a day. If there is frequent ventricular premature beats, use 0.1 g of phenytoin sodium 3 times a day by intramuscular injection or orally.

During the treatment and rehabilitation, if heart failure, severe arrhythmia, subacute bacterial endocarditis (fever of unknown cause, progressive anemia, hematuria, splenomegaly and skin bleeding points, attention should be paid to the occurrence of this disease), arterial embolism (Atrial thrombus falls off and blockage of cerebral artery can cause hemiplegia; blockage of pulmonary artery can cause chest pain, dyspnea and hemoptysis; blockage of renal artery can cause hematuria, etc.) should be sent to hospital for treatment in time.

(5) Prevention common sense

This disease is a consequence of rheumatism. Active prevention of hemolytic streptococcal infection is the key to prevent this disease. Strengthening physical exercise to enhance the body's resistance to disease also has important preventive effects. Active and effective treatment of streptococcal infections, such as eradication of chronic lesions such as tonsillitis, dental caries, and paranasal sinusitis, can prevent and reduce the incidence of this disease. ^[2]