The heart is a source of power for our bodies, and the heart valves play a vital role, like valves in this power system. Cardiac valve disease, in short, is the failure of these “valves” to work properly.
We have four main valves in our heart, namely, dipoly, tripoly, aortic and pulmonary. They are like one-way “valves” that ensure that blood flows within the heart in a certain direction, so that the heart can efficiently perform the pumping function. Cardiac valve disease occurs when the valves are damaged or altered for various reasons.
Cardiac valve disease has many causes. The most common is rheumatism, which in the past led to rheumatism heart disease as the main type of heart valve disease. Rheumatism can inflammate, bind and deform the valves, thus affecting their normal closure. As living conditions improve, old-age degenerative diseases become one of the major causes. Just as machines age and wear, cardiac valves are calcified and fibroized with age, leading to loss of function. In addition, congenital malformations, such as inherently valorular abnormalities in some humans; infectious endometriitis, bacteria or other pathogens infecting and causing damage to the heart valve; and other cardiovascular diseases, traumas, etc., may also cause heart valve disease.
Symptoms of the disease are closely related to the type and severity of valor disease. At an early stage, the symptoms may not be obvious, but they are only slightly weak and short after the activity. When the valves are narrow, the heart takes more strength to pump the blood out, and patients suffer from respiratory difficulties, especially when physical labour, physical activity and even sleep are aggravated, and may be accompanied by coughs, crumbs, etc. If the valve is not complete, the blood flow is reversed, resulting in an increased heart burden, the patient may suffer from heart attack, dizziness and infirmity and, in serious cases, heart failure, as reflected in whole-body symptoms such as edema, abdominal swelling and liver.
Doctors combine multiple factors in the diagnosis of cardiac valve disease. The first is a detailed examination of the patient ‘ s medical history and an understanding of the time, frequency and severity of symptoms. A medical examination is then carried out and the heart murmur can be heard through the acoustics, which is one of the major clues to the change in the valve. It is also possible to detect the abnormality of the electrical activity of the heart by means of a variety of tests, such as electrocardiograms; heart ultrasound, the most commonly used and very effective method of diagnosing cardiac valve disease, which provides a clear picture of the morphology, structure, movement, and direction and speed of blood flow of the valve, so as to determine accurately the type and extent of changes in the valve; and, in some cases, may require further assessment of the overall state of the heart, such as chest X-rays and MRIs.
The treatment of cardiac valve disease has a variety of options, depending mainly on the degree of corrosive disease and the specific circumstances of the patient. In the case of mild valve disease, there may be only regular follow-up visits to relieve symptoms and to reduce the heart burden through drug treatment, such as the use of urea to reduce the quality of life of high patients such as edema and vascular expansion agents to reduce pre- and post-heart loads and to slow progress. Surgery is usually required for the more seriously affected valves. The procedure included replanting and replanting. The valve repair can preserve the patient ‘ s own valve tissue, the post-operative heart function is better and no long-term anticondensation medication is required; the replanting is the replacement of the diseased valve with an artificial or biological valve, which is applied in cases of severe irreparable damage to the valve, but after the operation the patient needs a long-term anticondensive drug to prevent the formation of a leper and to monitor the coagulation function on a regular basis.
Prevention of cardiac valve disease and prevention of rheumatism in everyday life, especially in childhood, requires timely and thorough treatment in the event of streptococcal infections, such as tonsils and oscillitis. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, a proper diet, adequate exercise, weight control, absconding alcohol, and avoiding overwork and stress contribute to the preservation of heart health. For people with a family history of congenital heart disease, a birth test is performed during pregnancy in order to detect foetal heart abnormalities at an early stage.
Heart valve disease is a heart disease that cannot be ignored. Understanding its causes, symptoms, diagnostics and treatments, as well as actively taking preventive measures, can help us better protect the heart, which is an important engine of life, so that it can continue to deliver blood to our bodies and ensure the proper functioning of life.
