Rheumatic fever
is the most common cause of mitral valve stenosis.
Types of valve disease
Mitral stenosis1
Mitral Stenosis is a condition where the leaflets become thick or stiff. This results in a narrowed valve opening and reduced blood flow through the valve.
Thickened or stenosed mitral valve
What is the Mitral Stenosis
The mitral valve is one of four valves in the heart that keep blood flowing in the right direction. Each valve has flaps — called leaflets — that open and close once during each heartbeat. If a valve doesn't open or close properly, blood flow through the heart to the body can be reduced.
The narrowing of the mitral valve decreases the blood flow to the left ventricle (the hearts main pumping chamber). The heart needs to work harder to compensate for the lack of blood flow. This can make you feel tired, experience shortness of breath and increase your risk of heart failure.
What happens next if I'm diagnosed with Mitral Stenosis?
Although medications can't fix a valve defect, they can help with symptoms.
Your health care team may prescribe diuretics to reduce fluid accumulation in the lungs, blood thinners to prevent clots from forming, or drugs to control the heart rhythm if those are indicated. The mitral valve can sometimes be replaced with surgery. The decision to replace the valve is based on many factors including the cause of the mitral stenosis (rheumatic or calcific), condition of the valve, the risk of surgery and the severity of symptoms you are experiencing.
What causes Mitral Stenosis?
Aging
Older adults are at increased risk of calcium build-up around the mitral valve.
Radiation therapy
Radiation causes changes in the mitral valve shape and structure. Rarely, people who receive radiation therapy to the chest area for certain types of cancer may develop mitral valve stenosis.
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References
- Mitral Valve Stenosis. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21903-mitral-valve-stenosis
Note: References provided are applicable for all medical claims on this page.
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