ask: Is Mitral Valve Prolapse curable ?

Dear Karthick

Thanks so much for your question and welcome to Empowher!

We are not doctors, rather a collection of (mainly) women who use their education and experience to assist others to attain and maintain a healthy and fulfilling life!

However, we have many doctors through this site who can assist with answering some questions (no diagnosis or treatment can be provided) and our doctors also provide articles and studies in their areas of expertize.

With regard to your question, there is no need to "cure" mitral valve prolapse since most cases are mild and simply need to be aware of any symptoms that occur that show it may be more serious.

For the benefit of readers who may be unfamiliar with this condition,our Encyclopedia describes MVP as a "common, usually benign heart disorder. The mitral valve controls blood flow between the upper (atrium) and lower (ventricle) chambers on the left side of the heart. Normally, blood should only flow in one direction, from the upper chamber into the lower chamber. In MVP, the valve flaps don't work properly; part of the valve balloons into the atrium, which may be associated with blood flowing in the wrong direction, or leaking back into the atrium.

Treatment
In most cases, no treatment is necessary. Speak with your doctor about whether you should take antibiotics prior to dental work or surgery. Antibiotics may help to prevent endocarditis , an infection of the membrane that covers the inside of the heart.

If symptoms include chest pain, anxiety, or panic attacks, a beta-blocker medication can be prescribed. Ask your doctor whether you may continue to participate in your usual athletic activities.

In very rare cases, the blood leakage may become severe. In these few cases, the mitral valve may need to be surgically repaired or replaced.

Prevention
There are no guidelines for preventing MVP of unknown or genetic origin.

You may be able to prevent symptoms, however, through certain lifestyle changes:

◦Limit your intake of caffeine.
◦Avoid medications (such as decongestants) that speed up your heart rate.
◦Exercise regularly, following your healthcare provider’s recommendations for intensity.

Mitral regurgitation is the leaking of blood from the left ventricle across the mitral valve, and into the left atrium. The flow of blood pumped by the heart is controlled by one-way valves. These valves assure that blood moves in only one direction. When the mitral valve leaks, some of the blood that should be pumped into the body instead goes backward into the left atrium. If the amount of blood that leaks is severe, mitral regurgitation can be a serious condition that requires care from your doctor. The sooner it is treated, the more favorable the outcome. If you suspect you have this condition, contact your doctor immediately."

Karthick - while it's not likely your prolapse will graduate to regurgitation, it's possible, of course, as it does happen to some people. Since we don't know what really causes prolapse to begin with, it's hard to predict who may progress to regurgitation and who won't. As written above, there are ways to help prevent symptoms.

It's likely you may remain in a mild stage of prolapse (one in twenty of us have this!) so you simply need to monitor your health (as your doctor has said) and notify him/her immediately of any changes. There is no actual "cure" for this, it's a condition of the heart that a person lives with. A healthy lifestyle and awareness of symptoms is how it is dealt with. If it progresses, then medication and/or surgery may be necessary.

To compare it to something, it's kind of like having a mole. There is no need to remove it or treat it, unless it changes and graduates to a condition that's more serious. Most of us have moles and they are fine. But for some of us, they may need treatment or removal so they don't progress to something else.

Does this help you?