Mitral Valve Prolapse

Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP) is one of the most common cause for heart murmurs. This condition occurs when the mitral valve, responsible for preventing back flow of blood during heart contraction malfunctions. Consequently the mitral valve allows a tiny amount of blood to leak through and might shut off with a faint clicking sound. A faulty flap of the heart valve moves back into the atrium when the heart beats, allowing blood flow from the ventricle back into the atrium. Mitral valve prolapse is also referred to as click-murmur syndrome, Barlow's syndrome or Floppy valve syndrome. It is genetic in nature and is seen to run in families. Women are more likely to suffer from mitral valve prolapse when compared to men. Slender women with long and tapering fingers are at increased risk of suffering from MVP. Factors that might trigger a mitral valve prolapse are hypoglycemia, magnesium deficiency, chemical sensitivity, rheumatic fever, heart disease and hypothyroidism. A person suffering from MVP notices symptoms such as migraine headache, dizziness, cold hands and feet and hyperventilation. There might be insomnia, vertigo and balance problems. Such a person usually has a hypersensitive startle reflex. There might be intermittent chest pain and a feeling of the heart skipping beats.

There are various diagnostic tools used to detect mitral valve prolapse:

• ECG - Echocardiogram uses high-frequency sound waves to image your heart structures and its rhythm. This allows the physician to view the mitral valve and flow of blood through it.
  
• Chest x-ray can help identify any malfunctioning valve in the heart.
  
• Doppler ultrasound aids in assessing the functioning of the heart valve.

Moderate regular exercise has extensive benefits on alleviating some of the symptoms of mitral valve prolapse. Avoid too much sugar and Monosodium glutamate (MSG) in the diet. Sufficient amounts of magnesium, l-carnitine, acetyl-l-carnitine and B vitamins can help in relieving the symptoms of mitral valve prolapse. Prophylactic use of antibiotics is useful in preventing infection of the heart valve.