i have been diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) when i was just 10 years old. My doctor said that i had it since birth. i was told not to worry about it since it is not life threatening. However, i just needed to know if anyone among you has this condition. And what precautionary measures you undertake. By the way, i used to take Betaloc to control my blood pressure, but i was advised against it by my new doctor.
2007-05-12 17:45:26 · 6 answers · asked by piglet 2 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Heart Diseases
Hi Piglet, I work as a cardiac sonographer and come across MVP quite a lot!
MVP occurs when the valve between the left upper chamber (left atrium) and left lower chamber (left ventricle) does not close properly. In people without MVP, when the heart contracts, the mitral valve remains closed and prevents the blood in the left ventricle going back (regurgitating) into the left atrium.
However, in MVP the valve actually bulges or prolapses back into the left atrium therefore allowing blood to regurgitate into the left atrium. There are different degrees of MVP. The Mitral Valve has two leaflets and MVP can occur when just one or part of one of the leaflets are prolapsing, or both of the leaflets can prolapse . The amount the valve is prolapsing basically determines how much blood is regurgitating into the left atrium (called Mitral Regurgitation or MR).
Most of the time MVP is really quite harmless and does not have any adverse affect on your lifestyle or ability to do activities. However it all really depends on how much the leaflets are prolapsing and how much MR is present. In some people with MVP the MR can become quite significant and start to cause symptoms. In this situation, a mitral valve replacement or repair may eventually be required.
MVP and MR can be easily checked with an Echocardiogram and your doc may want you to have an echo every year or two to monitor things.
Patients with MVP may also need to take antibiotics before dental procedures as a precautionary measure...hope that helps a little!
2007-05-12 21:49:15 · answer #1 · answered by bubbles 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i was born with mitral valve prolapse. she is very young to be diagnosed with this. i was diagnosed at the age of 16. i was told that by the time i was in my fourties that i would need a valve replacement. well, i just turned 53 and i am doing fine. she will just need to be monitored by her doctor once a year unless she should have problems with it which is doubtful due to her age. the vitral valve is found on the left side of the heart. the prolapse is where the heart valve when the heart beats does not close properly allowing blood to go back up into the upper chamber of the heart causing a murmur. both of my grandchildren have this murmur but were told that it doesn't necessarily mean that it will be anything bad as they get older. they are 5 and 7 right now. for some reason it seems to hit females more than males. when your daughter goes to the dentist ,even for a cleaning, she will need to take just one anti-biotic pill for safety. so please let her dentist know about this conditioin when you make her appointment. also if she should elver have to have any really type of surgery the doctor who would put her under for it needs to be told so that he/she knows how much sleeping meds and what type of sleeping meds are safe for her.
2016-04-01 08:55:21 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi Piglet. There is an extensive body of scientific research showing that MVP is often caused by a magnesium deficiency. Your doctor should know this, but I bet he/she does not.
Ask your doctor to evaluate your magnesium status by ordering either an "RBC magnesium" or "magnesium load" test. "Serum magnesium" is the only test most medical doctors know, and it is virtually a meaningless test because your tissues and cells can be very deficient in magnesium with normal serum levels.
Best wishes and good luck.
2007-05-12 18:08:43 · answer #3 · answered by Doctor J 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You'll know when the condition worsens as you'll start to become more lethargic and lack the ability to catch your breath. Ensure you have annual visits not just with a family doctor but also see a cardiologist.
2007-05-12 17:58:33 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its a matter of not strenuously exercizing for long periods. A trainer or physical therapist may help you. My granddaughter has the same thing. She feels bad when her heart races after a workout.
2007-05-12 17:55:14 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its depends how significant, and whether exercise bothers it.
You may have some trouble exercising hard.
2007-05-13 02:59:50 · answer #6 · answered by Laurence W 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋