The symptoms of a damaged heart valve are heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, coughing or fatigue. If this condition is left untreated, the damage can progress to congestive heart failure, heart chamber enlargement, overgrowth of the heart muscle or heart rhythm disorders.

Advances in medication and surgery have had a huge impact on treating this condition. Due to the widespread use of penicillin to treat strep throat infection in children, rheumatic fever, a leading cause of damaged hearts, is no longer a problem in the United States.

Heart valves are crucial to the functioning of the cardiovascular system. You might think of them as one-way gates that keep the blood flowing forwarding as the chambers of the heart contract. If they open incompletely, a condition called stenosis occurs. Regurgitation occurs when the blood flows forward as the chambers of the heart contract.

When severe valve damage occurs that necessitates that the valve be replaced, a mechanical valve made of plastic might be used, however, blood tends to cling to mechanical valves causing blood clots. Patients

using mechanical valves must then take a blood thinning medications for the rest of their lives.

Sometimes biological valves are made from animal tissues or taken from human tissue. Patients having these valves do not have to take blood clotting medications.

The future holds great promise for research in rpairing damaged heart valves.

post by Sandra

Torah Chanuka Chanukia Hebrew Government Jewish Women Tallis Bag Israel Jewish Gifts Menorahs Rosh Hashanah Kosher Hotels Yarmulkas Jewish Links Ketubot Enlightenment Jewish Portal Haggadahs Jewish Music Monorah Chapel Caps Jewish Personals Mezuzot Talis Orthodox Jew Holocaust Reform Jewish Holidays Taleisim Kashrut Guide Kosher Rabbi Antisemitism Chanukkah Prayer Shawl Shabbat Jewish Social Kosher Recipes Conservative Judaism Jewish Camps Ketubah Torah Binders Travel Talit Kosher Travel Orthodox Jews Jewish Rituals Jewish Wedding Jewish Singles