Valvular+Disease

=Valvular Disease=

Western Diagnosis mechanical lesion in one of the valves of the heart

Stenosis: chamber behind stenotic valve must work harder and hypertrophies

Incompetence: chambers behind and in front of the incompetent valve bear an extra load, an extra volume of blood with each heartbeat

Mitral valve disease most common of all valvular disease - over 50%: rheumatic fever most common cause of mitral valve disease and all valve disease in general Aortic valve disease second most common valvular disease - about 35%

Signs and Symptoms
1. very long course - decades 2. possibly fatigue, dizziness, syncope, dyspnea 3. various murmurs in various positions

Testing
1. chest x-ray 2. ECG 3. echocardiogram [most important] 4. cardiac catheterization

Treatment
1. drugs to slow heart rate 2. peripheral vasodilators to decrease resistance 3. valve replacement 4. Crataegus (Hawthorne) often used