A collapsed heart valve can be fixed using a ring that supports the damaged and collapsed heart valve and can be removed and replaced by an artificial heart valve.
The artificial heart valves can be made from carbon coated plastic or tissue and even made from animal heart valves or from human heart valves taken from donors.
A collapsed heart valve is serious although it's not usually life threatening in most people.
In most cases though a collapsed heart valve or mitral prolapse is not life threatening and does not always require treatment or other changes to your current lifestyle.
Some people however may need medications or even surgery, especially in cases where the mitral valve prolapse causes severe regurgitation.
The collapsed or diseased heart valve may be repaired using a ring to support the damaged valve, or the entire heart valve may be removed and replaced by an artificial valve.
Artificial heart valves may be made of carbon coated plastic or tissue (made from animal valves or human valves taken from donors).
Many people with heart valve problems live long and healthy lives and never realize they have a mild heart valve problem.
However, if left untreated, advanced heart valve disease can cause heart failure, stroke, blood clots or death due to sudden cardiac arrest.
Aortic heart valve disease is the deadliest heart valve disease and causes around 6 in 10 deaths due to heart valve disease.
Mitral valve prolapse, also known as Barlow syndrome, is a type of heart valve disease where the flaps (also called leaflets or cusps) of the mitral valve become enlarged or stretched.
These enlarged flaps in the heart bulge (prolapse) into the left atrium as the heart contracts with each heartbeat.
There are no exercise restrictions when you have mitral valve prolapse, although doctors recommend the usual lifestyle practices of abstaining from smoking and limiting alcohol consumption.
To maximize heart health with mitral valve prolapse, doctors advise eating a heart-healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and consulting a cardiologist periodically.
Depending on the severity of the leak into the left atrium during systole (mitral regurgitation), the left atrium and/or left ventricle may become enlarged, leading to symptoms of heart failure.
These symptoms include weakness, fatigue, and shortness of breath.