Mitral Valve Regurgitation
Mitral Valve Regurgitation
Mitral valve regurgitation is defined as the mitral incompetence or mitral insufficiency due to which mitral valve doesn’t close tightly due to which blood flow back in your heart. If mitral valve regurgitation is in severe condition then it doesn’t allow blood to flow through ventricle.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of mitral regurgitation include:
- Irregular heartbeat
- Dyspnea
- Palpitations
- Edema on feet and ankles
- Heart murmur
- Fatigue
- Breathing problems
- Cyanosis
Causes
Mitral valve regurgitation causes include:
- Cardiomyopathy
- Heart attack
- Mitral valve prolapses
- Rheumatic fever
- Endocarditis
- Trauma
- Congenital heart valve defect
- Radiations
Complications
If left untreated it may cause the following complications:
- Heart failure
- Stroke
- Atrial fibrillation
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Pulmonary edema
- Blood clots
Diagnosis
After taking medical history and conducting a general physical examination your doctor will recommend the following test to diagnosis the condition:
- Chest X-ray to see the condition of heart and lungs
- Cardiac MRI to see the detailed images of heart
- ECG to check the electric activity of heart
- Stress test to measure the tolerance of heart muscle on exercise
- Cardiac catherization
Treatment
Treatment of mitral valve regurgitation depend upon the severity of conditions, treatment options include:
- Diuretics to prevent pulmonary and ankle edema
- Blood thinner to prevent the clot formation
- Maintain healthy lifestyle
- Taking medicine to prevent the complications
- Regular follow-up check-up
- Surgical replacement or repair of mitral valve
Lifestyle and home remedies
Following tips will help to reduce the signs and symptoms:
- Avoid stress
- Eat healthy food
- Maintain healthy weight
- Perform exercise daily
- Avoid smoking
- Limit alcohol consumption
- Maintain personal hygiene to prevent infections