There are four valves in the heart. These valves allow the blood to flow one way, but not another. When blood enters the heart from the body, it goes through the tricuspid valve. Next, the blood goes to the lungs to get rid of carbon dioxide and pick up oxygen. When it is pumped to the lungs it goes out the heart past the pulmonic valve. After blood passes through the lungs, it re enters the heart. The blood carrying oxygen first goes past the mitral valve. Next, the blood is pumped out to the body. The last valve the blood goes by before it leaves the heart is the aortic valve.

To work properly, each valve must open and close completely at the right time. If a valve is scarred so that it is stiff and cannot open well, it is "stenotic". A stenotic valve forms a narrowed passage, making the heart work harder to pump blood. This can make the heart wall thicker. When a valve does not close completely, so that blood goes backwards, it is "insufficient" or "incompetent". This makes the heart work harder by causing it to pump some of the same blood twice. When this happens the heart, or one of its four chambers gets bigger.

The heart valves can become diseased for many reasons. Sometimes the valves are not normal at birth. Rheumatic fever used to be a common cause of valve disease, but it is not seen much any more. Bacteria can infect the heart valves. This is called bacterial endocarditis. Injured valves makes a sound as the blood passes through them. This sound is called a murmur and is best heard through a stethoscope. Not all murmurs mean that there is a valve problem. Also, not all valve problems cause problems for the patient. Many people live a normal life with a small amount of valve disease.

Tests to diagnose valve problems include ultrasound testing, where sound waves are bounced off the heart valves to show how they move during the heart's beating. Another test is an angiogram where a small amount of material that shows up on X-ray is injected into the bloodstream and X-rays are taken of the heart.

By determining the cause of valvular heart disease, treatment can be targeted. Antibiotics may be given prior to certain procedures, such as dental work or surgery. This is done to prevent infections from happening to damaged heart valves. People who have had rheumatic fever may need to take antibiotics whenever they get a sore throat. Heart medicines may be required if valvular heart disease creates a strain on the heart. If the strain is serious, surgeons can replace the damaged valve. To learn more, contact your American Heart Association office or call (800) 242-8721.

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