Your heart has four valves. Normally, these valves open to let blood flow through or out of your heart, and then shut to keep it from flowing backward. But sometimes they don't work properly. What can happen?
Blood can leak back through the valve in the wrong direction, which is called regurgitation
One of the valves, the mitral valve, sometimes has "floppy" flaps and doesn't close tightly. This is called mitral valve prolapse, and it's one of the most common heart valve conditions. Sometimes it causes regurgitation
When the valve doesn't open enough, which blocks blood flow, it is called stenosis
Valve problems can be present at birth or caused by infections, heart attacks, or heart disease or damage. Some valve problems are minor and do not need treatment. Others might require medicine, medical procedures or surgery to repair or replace the valve.
Every time your heart beats, blood flows into, through, and out of your heart. In fact, your heart moves about 100 gallons (379 liters) of blood through your body every hour.
Blood is pumped through your heart in only one direction. Heart valves play key roles in this one-way blood flow, opening and closing with each heartbeat. Pressure changes behind and in front of the valves allow them to open their flap-like "doors" (called cusps or leaflets) at just the right time, then close them tightly to prevent a backflow of blood.
There are 4 valves in the heart:
Tricuspid valve
Pulmonary valve
Mitral valve
Aortic valve
Blood without oxygen returns from the body and flows into the heart's upper-right chamber (the right atrium). From there, it is forced through the tricuspid valve into the lower-right chamber (the right ventricle). The right ventricle pumps the blood through the pulmonary valve and into the lungs. While in the lungs, the blood picks up oxygen. As the right ventricle is preparing to push blood through the pulmonary valve, the tricuspid valve closes to stop blood from flowing back into the right atrium.
Oxygen-rich blood returning from the lungs flows into the upper-left chamber (the left atrium). This blood is forced through the mitral valve into the lower-left chamber (the left ventricle)-with the mitral valve sealing off to stop the backflow of blood. At the same time that the right ventricle is pumping the blood without oxygen into the lungs, the left ventricle is pushing the blood with oxygen through the aortic valve and on to all of the body's organs.
Two types of problems can disrupt blood flow though the valves: regurgitation or stenosis.
Regurgitation is also called insufficiency or incompetence. Regurgitation happens when a valve doesn't close properly and blood leaks backward instead of moving in the proper one-way flow. If too much blood flows backward, only a small amount can travel forward to your body's organs. Your heart tries to make up for this by working harder, but with time your heart will become enlarged (dilated) and less able to pump blood through your body.
Stenosis happens when the leaflets do not open wide enough and only a small amount of blood can flow through the valve. Stenosis happens when the leaflets thicken, stiffen, or fuse together. Because of the narrowed valve, your heart must work harder to move blood through your body.
Valvular heart disease
Cardiac tumors
Structural heart disease
Heart valve dysplasia
Congenital heart disease
Conduction system disease
Coronary heart disease
Cardiomyopathy