Heart failure and mitral valve:
• Also known as congestive heart failure, occurs when the heart muscle doesn't pump blood as well as it should. It is a chronic condition. • Some common signs and symptoms of heart failure include - shortness of breath, chest pain, rapid or irregular heartbeat, fatigue and weakness, swollen legs, lack of appetite and nausea, etc. • In heart failure, the organ itself is damaged and flaccid, often as a consequence of a heart attack. The muscle pumps inefficiently, and in an attempt to compensate, the heart enlarges and becomes misshapen. • The enlarged organ tugs apart the mitral valve, which controls blood flow from the left atrium into the left ventricle. The distorted valve functions poorly, its flaps swinging apart. Blood that is supposed to be pumped into the body backs up into the heart and lungs. • A vicious cycle ensues: The heart enlarges, so the mitral valve leaks. The leaky mitral valve makes the heart enlarge even more, as it tries to compensate, and heart failure worsens
|