Malfunctioning heart valve

It heart is a contracting muscle that pumps blood to all parts of the body. In the heart, four valves control the flow of blood to the appropriate blood channels. If one of those valves narrows or thickens, blood flow can be disrupted. That problem is called vasoconstriction or stenosis.

In a healthy heart, two valves control blood flow from the upper cavities—the atria, or atria—to the lower cavities—the chambers, or ventricles. The other two valves control blood flow from the ventricles to the lungs and the rest of the body.

During a normal heartbeat, oxygenated blood is sent from the left atrium to the left ventricle through the mitral valve. The ventricle continues to pump blood through the aortic valve to the circulatory system, which serves the entire body. Deoxygenated blood is sent from the right atrium via the tricuspid valve to the right ventricle. From there, the blood is pumped through the pulmonary valve to the lungs, where it absorbs fresh oxygen.

The mitral valve and the tricuspid valve have so-called cusps. They are opened and closed by thin, fibrous tendon threads, the chordae tendineae. The chordae tendineae are anchored within the ventricles to the muscles of the heart wall. When the ventricles contract, the mitral and tricuspid valves are pulled closed, and the aortic and pulmonary valves open simultaneously. The opening and closing of the pulmonary and aortic valves occurs in response to the pressure changes in the atria and ventricles.

If a valve narrows, stiffens, or thickens, the heart has to work harder to push blood through the narrowed opening. Over time, the heart itself becomes larger and thicker as a result of this overexertion. Finally, you can heart failure develop. Vasoconstriction can be congenital, but the abnormality can also develop later as a result of heart or coronary artery disease.