什么是主动脉瓣?
Your aortic valve is an essential barrier between your 心 and your body. 当它正常工作时, the aortic valve is a one-way valve that separates the left ventricle, the main pumping chamber of your 心, 从你的主动脉, the main artery that carries oxygenated blood to your entire body.
With each 心beat the left ventricle fills with blood and as the pressure inside the ventricle builds, the valve opens to allow the blood to pass into the aorta, where it will be carried throughout your body.
心脏瓣膜疾病的类型
There are two primary diseases that can occur with the aortic valve:
- 主动脉瓣狭窄: A condition where the aortic valve narrows and cannot open all the way.
- 主动脉瓣闭锁不全: A condition where your aortic valve fails to close properly once the blood enters the aorta.
It’s important to understand and recognize the causes, 症状, treatments for these two types of aortic valve disease.
Preventing 主动脉瓣疾病
If you develop aortic valve disease because of a congenital 心 defect, 你无法预防这种疾病. However if you don’t have a congenital 心 defect, there are some steps you can take to reduce the risk of developing aortic valve disease.
Take antibiotics when you have strep throat to prevent rheumatic fever. Strep throat can be easily tested at your doctor’s office and antibiotics can usually treat this disease quickly and effectively. This will help you avoid complications that can lead to rheumatic fever and 心 damage.
Reduce your risk of 心 disease by:
- keeping your blood pressure under control,
- 适当管理糖尿病,
- maintaining healthy cholesterol levels (and having your cholesterol checked regularly),
- maintaining a healthy body weight to avoid obesity.
Take care of your teeth and gums. There is increasing evidence that having healthy teeth and gums and avoiding gingivitis can reduce the risk of endocarditis, which is an infection in 心 tissue that could damage the aortic valve.
Brushing and flossing daily and seeing your dentist every six months for a cleaning and checkup can reduce your risk of developing gum disease.
瓣膜心脏小组
Recent 研究 into 主动脉瓣疾病
研究ers in our 主动脉瓣疾病 Program have published results in the medical journal Circulation. The study examined the genetic relationship in family members with in bicuspid aortic valve and thoracic aortic disease.
安排谘询
Need to see an aortic specialist? First thing to do is get a referral from your primary care doctor. Once you have referral and have made an appointment, you can prepare for your appointment by:
- Letting your insurance know you have an appointment and reviewing your insurance coverage.
- Having a copy of your medical history ready.
