i have mitral valve prolapse.....?

Question

i have mitral valve prolapse and i have had it since i was born so i am familiar with it and get yearly checkups at the heart doctor for it but i am just now starting to accually research it. this may sound weird but the best way for me to describe it is that my heart and chest area feel heavy and i start to feel really drained and tired. also sometimes when i have been laying down watching tv or reading for awhile and i stand up i start to get dizzy and everything that i see gets darker but it only lasts a couple of seconds. and i just want to confirm that when u have mvp you tend to have alot of anxiety and shortening of breath all of a sudden and a quiken of your heart beat right? also every once in a while when im breathing my chest starts to hurt (specifically around the bottom left part of my rib cage) and i have to take alot of small short breaths for them to stop.
can you tell me everything u know about mvp thx

and i know it isnt life threatening or anything like that i am just wondering about the conditions that come along with mvp i have been living with it for some time now so im not worried.

Answer 1

Blood flow:
right atrium-->right ventricle-->lungs-->left atrium-->left ventricle-->body-->back to right atrium

In the heart, the mitral valve separates the left atrium, which gets oxygen-rich blood from the lungs, from the left ventricle, which pumps the blood through your body. It's supposed to keep blood flowing in a one-way direction. Prolapse means that under pressure, the valve doesn't cover the hole between the left atrium and ventricle properly. So every time the ventricle tries to pump blood to your body some of it goes backward into the left atrium or lungs.

The result is the symptoms you feel. You're not getting as much blood and oxygen to your brain and body as normal people, so it makes you tired. The backup of blood causes your shortness of breath, as your lungs are overloaded with blood. Your heartbeat quickens as your body automatically tries to compensate, since more beats = more blood getting pumped.

Your chest pain is probably due to some mild enlargement of your heart. It's constantly having to work harder to make up for the prolapsed valve, so like any other muscle it got bigger. Your chest didn't, so you might be getting a little friction rub there at the apex.

Make sure you keep your doc informed of everything that's going on. He can recommend surgery to replace the valve with an artificial mechanical one or a natural valve harvested from another animal.

Answer 2

The tiredness and dizziness are common symptoms of a mitral valve prolapse, but the anxiety and shortness of breath are not. So you have two issues to look into mpv, and anxiety. What is likely happening is you are experiencing typical mvp symptoms which scare you or cause you to worry that something is wrong, and this triggers an anxiety attack. While there isn't anything you can do about the mvp symptoms, you can completely eliminate the anxiety response (with a little effort).

Take look at the first web link - it provides excellent self-help guidance for overcoming anxiety problems. Most importantly, you need to recognize the mvp symptoms, and accept that those symptoms are normal feelings for you and they are not a health risk. So, there is no real threat, but you are responding as if the threat were real. Shortness of breath and rapid pulse rates are a normal response to a threat. These things occur from adrenaline that is released in response to real or perceived danger. When adrenaline is released, it causes people to feel panicky, which causes them to worry that something is going wrong with their body, which releases more adrenaline, and causes more panic. So, naturally, they try to suppress the panic feelings, which creates even more anxiety.

This whole cycle can be avoided by knowing ahead of time that you are going to feel a little funny from time to time from the mvp, and that your body will respond with release of adrenaline. You also know that adrenaline will speed up your pulse and cause rapid, shallow breathing. Expect this to happen and recognize that it is nothing to worry about. The self-help link helps you teach yourself how to work through an anxiety attack by recognizing threats that are not real, and by learning to stop the release of adrenaline by deep breathing.

Answer 3

MVP IS NOT AN UNCOMMON CONDITION ! IT IS JUST A FITTING OF THE MITRAL VALVE LITTLE OUT SIDE THE RIM ! SO IT LOOKS LIKE PROLASE !Of COURSE THERE IS NOTHING TO WORRY AS YOU SAID !IT SOME TIME MAY GIVE SOME CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIA MEANS IRREGULARITY IN BEATS !SO DO NOT WORRY ! IT WILL REMAIN THERE FOR LIFE TIME ! some SURGICAL CURE IS OF COURSE CAN BE OFFERED BUT IT MAY NOT HELP MUCH !yes IF IT CAUSES LIFE THREATENING PROBLEM THAN ONE SHOULD THINK FOR IT OTHER WISE MANY PEOPLE LIVE WITH IT HAPPILY ! IT IS YOUR PSYCHOLOGY WHICH EFFECTS MORE RATHER THAN THE ACTUAL CAUSE ! always YouRsmE

Answer 4

Take a look at Dr Carolyn Dean's The Miracle of Magnesium, pages 106-107 in the paperback. It discusses the condition and how magnesium supplementation may help, and gives references.

Answer 5

mvp= most valuable player