- Symptoms of mitral stenosis
- Main causes
- How the diagnosis is made
- How to treat
- Possible complications
Mitral stenosis corresponds to the thickening and calcification of the mitral valve, resulting in the narrowing of the opening that allows blood to pass from the atrium to the ventricle. The mitral valve, also known as the bicuspid valve, is a cardiac structure that separates the left atrium from the left ventricle.
According to the degree of thickening and, consequently, size of the orifice for the passage of blood, mitral stenosis can be classified into:
- Mild mitral stenosis, whose opening for the passage of blood from the atrium to the ventricle is between 1.5 and 4 cm; Moderate mitral stenosis, whose opening is between 1 and 1.5 cm; Severe mitral stenosis, whose opening is less than 1 cm.
Symptoms usually begin to appear when the stenosis is moderate or severe, as blood flow begins to become difficult, resulting in shortness of breath, easy tiredness and chest pain, for example, requiring a visit to the cardiologist for confirmation diagnosis and treatment started.
Symptoms of mitral stenosis
Mitral stenosis does not usually present symptoms, however some may develop after physical exertion, such as:
- Easy tiredness; Feeling of shortness of breath, especially at night, having to sleep sitting or lying back; Dizziness when getting up; Chest pain; Blood pressure may be normal or decreased; Pink face.
In addition, the person may feel their own beats and bloody cough if the vein or capillaries in the lung rupture. Know the main causes of coughing up blood.
Main causes
The main cause of mitral stenosis is rheumatic fever, which is a disease mainly caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae, which in addition to causing inflammation in the throat, causes the immune system to produce autoantibodies, which leads to inflammation of the joints and, possibly changes in cardiac structure. See how to identify and treat rheumatic fever.
Less frequently, mitral stenosis is congenital, that is, it is born with the baby, and can be identified in tests performed soon after birth. Other causes of mitral stenosis that are rarer than congenital stenosis are: systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Fabry disease, Whipple's disease, amyloidosis and heart tumor.
How the diagnosis is made
The diagnosis is made by the cardiologist through the analysis of the symptoms described by the patient, in addition to the performance of some tests, such as chest radiography, electrocardiogram and echocardiogram. See what it is for and how the echocardiogram is made.
In addition, in the case of congenital mitral stenosis, the doctor can make the diagnosis from auscultation of the heart, in which a heart murmur characteristic of the disease can be heard. See how to identify heart murmur.
How to treat
The treatment for mitral stenosis is done according to the cardiologist's recommendation, with individualized doses of medication indicated according to the patient's need. Treatment is usually done with the use of beta blockers, calcium antagonists, diuretics and anticoagulants, which allow the heart to function properly, relieve symptoms and prevent complications.
In the most severe cases of mitral stenosis, cardiologists may recommend surgery to repair or replace the mitral valve. Learn about the post-operative and recovery from cardiac surgery.
Possible complications
As in mitral stenosis there is difficulty in the passage of blood from the atrium to the ventricle, the left ventricle is spared and remains at its normal size. However, as there is a large accumulation of blood in the left atrium, this cavity tends to increase in size, which can facilitate the appearance of cardiac arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation, for example. In these cases, the patient may need to use oral anticoagulants to decrease the risk of stroke.
In addition, as the left atrium receives blood from the lung, if there is an accumulation of blood in the left atrium, the lung will have difficulty sending the blood that reaches it to the heart. Thus, the lung ends up accumulating a lot of blood and, consequently, it can become soaked, resulting in acute pulmonary edema. Learn more about acute pulmonary edema.
