Aortic Stenosis
The leaflets cannot open fully to allow enough blood to flow through.
What is heart valve disease?1
To best understand Heart Valve Disease, you first need to understand what your heart valves do.
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Your heart has four valves that are like doors, that regulate blood flow in and out of your heart’s chambers. Heart Valve Disease is a condition where one or more of your heart valves stops working correctly making it more difficult for blood to flow through your heart.
Heart Valve disease can affect any of the four valves in your heart, and falls into two main categories; Regurgitation and Stenosis. Some valves may be affected by both
Anatomy of your heart
The four valves in your heart open and shut to let blood through your heart and into your body. They are called:
Anatomy of your heart
- 1Tricuspid valve
- 2Pulmonic valve
- 3Aortic Valve
- 4Mitral valve
The aortic valve and mitral valve are most commonly affected by heart valve disease. The most common forms of valve disease are: Aortic Stenosis and Mitral Regurgitation
Mitral Regurgitation
The flaps of the Mitral Valve, called leaflets, no longer seal properly in between heartbeats and allow blood to leak ‘backwards’ into the heart.
Understanding Regurgitation and Stenosis
One way to understand Regurgitation and Stenosis is to think of the way a door opens and closes.
A properly functioning door opens smoothly in one direction and closes securely in the other. A healthy valve operates in a similar manner. However, when a valve fails to close completely, it means blood cannot flow so easily through. This condition is referred to as regurgitation. When the valve fails to open properly, like when the hinges of a door become stiff, this is known as stenosis.
Answer our simple questions to check for Heart Valve Disease symptoms
Complete our simple quiz to check if you are at risk of Heart Valve Disease.
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References
- What are Heart Valve Diseases, National Heart. Lung and Blood Institute of https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart-valve-diseases
Note: References provided are applicable for all medical claims on this page.
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