Heart Valve Disease Awareness
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) - February is National Heart Health Awareness Month and during this month, The Hospitals of Providence is raising awareness of a particular disease that many do not realize they have.
As part of National Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day area cardiologists want everyone to know the importance of this condition which occurs when the valves in the heart stop working properly and disrupt the flow of blood.
The disease is serious and often misdiagnosed condition symptoms are sometimes confusing for patients who think they have other illnesses.
"The signs and symptoms that have problem with the value are very common, which means that a lot of people may have these symptoms where they get short of breath or tire very easily," said Dr. Chalam Mulukutla, Interventional Cardiologist with The Hospitals of Providence.
Dr. Mulukutla explains there are four valves in the heart that act like doors that open and close to allow proper blood flow from one area of the heart to the other. As the blood moves in the proper direction and time, it causes two sound which are the heartbeat. These valves or muscles can become stuck or leak which leads to various problems in the patient.
"Sometimes you can even pass out and have chest pain, but typically these problems come up over a period of time, they don't act suddenly so they can be gradual, and sometimes they can trick patients because they think they are getting a little bit older, or have them for other reasons, and you gradually get these problems," said Dr. Mulukutla.
He explains the heart has "four rooms, or chambers, and four doors (valves)" the aortic, mitral, pulmonary, and tricuspid valves. Each has their importance to the proper function of the heart. A heart murmur is often the first sign of a heart valve problem.
"It's important to recognize these and seek a medical professional to be able to identify noises that would be a way to tell that there's a problem with your valve when we listen to your heart," Dr. Mulukutla explained.
The pulmonary valve allows blood to pump from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery which leads to the lungs. It is here that the blood picks up oxygen.
The mitral valve allows blood flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle.
The tricuspid valve allows the blood flow from right atrium to right ventricle.
The most widely known is the aortic valve. It allows the flow of blood from the heart's left ventricle to the largest blood vessel in the body, the aorta. Oxygenated blood from the heart is pumped to the body.
Dr. Mulukutla says any changes your experience should be a topic of conversation with a physician who can determine if a cardiologist need to evaluate the condition.
