
There are four valves within your heart. They are the mitral, tricuspid,
aortic and pulmonic valves. The valves make sure blood flows in only one
direction through the heart.
What is heart valve disease?
Valvular
heart disease occurs when your heart's valves do not work correctly. Valvular
heart disease can be caused by valvular stenosis or valvular insufficiency. In
the valvular heart disease condition valvular stenosis , the tissues forming the
valve leaflets become stiffer, narrowing the valve opening and reducing the
amount of blood that can flow through it. If the narrowing is mild, the overall
functioning of the heart may not be reduced. However, the valve can become so
narrow (stenotic) that heart function is reduced, and the rest of the body may
not receive adequate blood flow. Another valvular heart disease condition,
called valvular insufficiency (or regurgitation, incompetence, "leaky valve"),
occurs when the leaflets do not close completely, letting blood leak backward
across the valve. This backward flow is referred to as “regurgitant flow.”

A narrowed or stenotic valve requires the heart to pump harder, which can strain
the heart and reduce blood flow to the body. A regurgitant (incompetent,
insufficient, or leaky) valve does not close completely, letting blood move
backward through the valve. Some patients may have both valvular stenosis and
valvular insufficiency in one or more valves. Valve disease causes the heart
muscle to work harder to circulate the right amount of blood through the body.
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