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The mystery of heart murmurs: How to hear the typical features of mitral regurgitation?
Mitral Regurgitation is a heart valve disease in which the mitral valve fails to close properly when the heart pumps blood, causing abnormal backflow of blood. This condition is extremely common, especially in developed countries, and is the most common form of valvular disease.
Mitral regurgitation is characterized by the reverse flow of blood into the left atrium when the left ventricle contracts. This process is accompanied by typical heart murmurs, and if doctors can identify the relevant characteristics during diagnosis, they can intervene in treatment earlier. Although mitral regurgitation may not cause obvious symptoms for many years, the continued backflow of blood will increase the burden on the heart and even cause heart failure.
Symptoms of mitral regurgitationThe signs and symptoms of mitral regurgitation vary depending on the course of the disease. Patients with acute mitral regurgitation often present with strong signs of heart failure, such as dyspnea, pulmonary edema, and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea. Relatively speaking, patients with chronic mitral regurgitation may be completely asymptomatic in the early stages, but as the disease progresses, they may experience problems such as fatigue, increased dyspnea during exercise, and lower limb edema.
The presence of fatigue, dyspnea and arrhythmia are key indicators in the clinical diagnosis process.
Auscultatory features of mitral regurgitation
Through auscultation, doctors can detect heart murmurs associated with mitral regurgitation. Heart murmurs are usually described as high-pitched, full-systolic murmurs located at the apex of the heart and may radiate to the back or clavicular region. There is no clear correlation between the volume of this murmur and the severity of mitral regurgitation, which makes it even more challenging and mysterious.
Diagnosis of Mitral Regurgitation
In clinical practice, the diagnosis of mitral regurgitation mainly relies on imaging examinations, such as echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging. These tests can show structural and functional abnormalities of the heart, including enlargement of the left ventricle and left atrium, which are typical of mitral regurgitation.
An electrocardiogram may reveal signs of atrial enlargement, an early warning sign of long-term mitral regurgitation.
Treatment options for mitral regurgitation
Treatment of mitral regurgitation will vary depending on the urgency of the condition and the presence of comorbidities. In acute situations, surgery is the treatment of choice. For chronic mitral regurgitation, doctors usually use drug therapy to relieve symptoms and reduce the burden on the heart, including the use of physical antihypertensive drugs such as ACE inhibitors and vasodilators.
Prevention and care of mitral regurgitation
Although you cannot completely prevent the development of valvular heart disease, you can reduce your risk by making lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and controlling high blood pressure. In addition, regular medical checkups are crucial for people with a family history or high-risk factors.
