A valve is a "device for controlling the passage of fluid or air through a pipe, duct, etc." We all have encountered valves in our lives. Tire (or Tyre) valve is one example which allows air to be injected into the tire and doesn't allow air to escape unless it is tampered with or is leaky. Essentially, valves are meant to allow one way flow only.
Our Heart also has valves to control blood flow from one chamber to the other.
In fact, a normal human being has four heart valves. They are named Tricuspid, Pulmonic, Aortic, and Mitral. A normal valve should allow blood flow from chamber A to chamber B without any restriction, and should prevent blood to flow back into chamber A when heart contracts. Due to various causes, valves can either become too tight restricting blood flow from chamber A to B (condition called 'stenosis'), or doesn't seal off too well when closed leading to blood leaking from chamber B to A (condition called 'regurgitation'). So, for example, if Aortic valve becomes too tight, it's called 'Aortic Stenosis'. As you can see, 8 various valve related abnormalities are possible.
Valve abnormalities (stenosis or regurgitation) causes dysfunctional flow dynamics inside the heart which leads to undue stress to heart muscle. When such condition becomes severe, it manifests itself in the form of breathing difficulty, chest discomfort, dizziness, fainting, leg swelling etc. Severe stenosis or regurgitation, particularly involving Aortic or Mitral valves, needs medical attention.
Since valve abnormalities are mechanical in nature, they need to be fixed mechanically. Medications may improve patient's symptoms but do nothing for valve disease per se. This generally holds true, although some exceptions do exist. So, it is important to seek expert opinion in such situations. Let me briefly touch upon few of the valve scenarios:
Mitral Stenosis: This is a condition when Mitral valve is too tight. If severe, many of such situations can be dealt with an angioplasty like procedure called Percutaneous Balloon Mitral Valvotomy (PBMV). Here, a balloon is threaded through patient's groin, to be placed at the Mitral valve orifice and inflated. An animation of this procedure can be watched online. Sometimes, the valve may need to be replaced surgically.
Mitral Regurgitation: Here, the valve leaks allowing back flow of blood. If severe, the valve is typically repaired or replaced via open heart surgery.
Aortic Stenosis: It is a condition where Aortic valve is too tight impeding blood flow from heart to rest of the body. Conventional treatment is valve replacement via open heart surgery. Newer less invasive approach called Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR or TAVI) can be offered to patients who are considered high risk for surgery. TAVR involved placing a new valve through a small cut in the groin. The procedure is very similar to angioplasty with very fast recovery. An animation can be found here.
Aortic Regurgitation: This condition is treated with valve replacement via open heart surgery.
Patients with valve abnormalities who are otherwise feeling well should be in constant follow up with a cardiologist. The aim of such follow up is to identify any potential problem before it permanently damages the heart, and treat it. Patients with valve abnormalities who don't feel well should seek immediate medical attention.
Please feel free to contact me for any further queries you may have on this topic.
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