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Remember when you were 18 years
old and you started having left-sided chest pains? Your pains
felt as if someone was stabbing you. They were very painful and
at one time you may even have screamed with pain. This pain may
have happened while you were watching TV. At one time you thought
your heart raced fast. You may have seen a heart doctor who listened
to your heart and told you that you have a mild degree of Mitral
Valve Prolapse. Your doctor assured you that the pains are really
not severe and not a heart attack. The pains may have bothered
you from time to time, but you didn't pursue the matter any further.
Now your 14 year-old daughter
is complaining of similar pains and you remember when you were
younger and you were diagnosed with Mitral Valve Prolapse. Could
she be experiencing the same thing?
The Mitral Valve
Let's talk a little about the Mitral Valve itself. The Mitral
Valve is the valve that guards the blood coming from the Left
Atrium to the Left Ventricle. It is like a door with two sides.
The leaflets of the Mitral Valve (cusps) are attached via tiny,
fibrous cords to a larger muscle called the Papillary Muscle
(it looks like a nipple). The Papillary Muscle is really part
of the heart wall.
The Mitral Valve normally
works as follows:
When the Left Atrium is full of blood, the heart muscle in the
Left Ventricle relaxes so the muscles attached to the Mitral
Valve open. When the Left Ventricle is full of blood the heart
muscle tenses (contracts) and the Mitral Valve closes shut.
Here's how Mitral Valve Prolapse
occurs:
Mitral Valve Prolapse occurs if the two Mitral Valve leaflets
bulge into the Left Atrium more than they should. They bulge
(herniate) or prolapse into the Left Atrium and put tension on
the muscles to which they are anchored (Papillary Muscle).
When this happens you may start having pains. These pains can
be severe.
In extreme cases of Mitral Valve
Prolapse the little cords which attach the Mitral Valve to the
muscle of the heart may come under high tension and they may
rupture. This will interfere with the normal closure of the Mitral
Valve and leakage from the Mitral Valve will occur into the Left
Atrium (Mitral Valve Regurgitation). Luckily this condition
does not happen often.
How Common is Mitral Valve
Prolapse?
Mitral Valve Prolapse is a very common condition and cardiologists
differ in how many people are actually affected. It is almost
agreed upon that about 10% of women in the United States have
some mild degree of Mitral Valve Prolapse. Severe Mitral Valve
Prolapse is rare.
How Serious is Mitral Valve
Prolapse?
The condition is benign. It usually causes some chest pains which
cause alarms. With some people these pains can be very frequent
which can affect their lifestyle. The majority of times they
are well tollerated. Usually your doctor will prescribe a medication
called Tinorman which is a kind of pita blocker to prevent the
pain associated with this condition.
However, if your valve is leaking,
your doctor may prescribe that you receive Propylaxis and Biotex
before you go to the Tilt Up Table Test.
To learn more about the Tilt
Up Table Test, click here. |
