Does Mitral Valve Prolapse Hurt?
Those who suffer from mitral valve prolapse face a severe hurt or pain in the chest as the most common symptom. The chest pain is quiet frightening and troublesome, but it does not increase the risk of heart attack or other cardiac issues or it is not something so severe which might lead to death. The mitral valve prolapse may result in the mitral regurgitation.
Anatomy Of Mitral Valve And Mitral Valve Prolapse
The mitral valve is a valve present in the left portion of the heart which allows the flow of blood from the upper left portion of the heart to the lower left portion of the heart i.e. it allows the blood flow from left atrium to the left ventricle. When the mitral valve is defective and slips loosely towards the backside into the left atrium, the condition is known as Mitral Valve Prolapse. The mitral valve prolapse happens when the main heart muscles known as the left ventricle contract when the heart is about to pump blood. Mitral valve prolapse is not something similar to Mitral valve stenosis because in Mitral valve stenosis, the mitral valve becomes hard, rigid and constricted but in mitral valve prolapse, the valve slips backward because of inappropriate size of the mitral valve tissues.
This happens due to damage in the mitral valve, but the exact cause of damage and mitral valve prolapse is still unknown. Mostly it happens due to heredity, but in few cases it is caused due to abnormal cartilage disease. In the U.S alone, more than 8 million people suffer from Mitral Valve Prolapse.
Symptoms Of Mitral Valve Prolapse
Most of the patient having Mitral Valve Prolapse may not find any considerable symptoms or any health issues because of it. Although there are some people who face frequent symptoms due to mitral valve prolapse and chest pain is the most common amongst it. The chest pain is often misunderstood for a heart attack but it is not as deadly, it’s just a symptom and not lethal. The mitral regurgitation is a condition in which there is backflow of blood into the heart due to improper closure of the mitral valve, is the result of mitral valve prolapse. When this condition is prolonged for many years, it weakens the heart muscles and results in congestive heart failure. Some of the common symptoms of congestive heart failure are:
- Early exertion and shortness of breath
- Swelling in the feet and legs
- There are other symptoms also which are associated with Mitral Valve prolapse like the following:
- Palpitations, meaning rapid heartbeat and fluttering sound
- Dizziness
- Shortening of breath specially during physical activity
- Fainting or passing out known as Syncope
- Anxiety and anger
- Numbness in the limbs
When these symptoms are seen altogether they are known as Mitral Valve prolapse syndrome. However, it is not yet confirmed by the experts that the reason for these symptoms is Mitral valve prolapse itself. In most of the cases they occur altogether only. A person can stay with Mitral valve prolapse depending on its severity. If the case is mild, small changes in lifestyle can help to live with this problem. One who is suffering from mild case of mitral valve prolapse or mitral valve regurgitation can include regular exercises, well balanced diet, support groups and regular visit to doctor to remain healthy for a long time. Those who have a severe case of Mitral valve prolapse might need to go for surgical process.
Conclusion
The most common symptom of mitral valve prolapse is the hurt or pain in the chest. However, the chest pain caused by mitral valve prolapse does not cause cardiac arrest and is not lethal. However it should not be ignored because prolonged mitral valve prolapse leads to mitral valve regurgitation and ultimately congestive heart failure due to weakening of heart muscles. Small changes in life style can help the persons having mitral valve prolapse to stay along with it without any problem, but those who have severe problem need to undergo surgery.
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