When MVP causes symptoms, these may include skipped or rapid heart beats and flutters (arrhythmias and palpitations), difficulty breathing, dizziness, headaches, fatigue, intolerance for physical activity, blood pressure irregularities, mild chest pain and anxiety symptoms.
What Causes MVP Symptoms?
Part of what is believed to cause symptoms in MVP patients is a co-morbid condition that is found commonly with the heart murmur called “dysautonomia.” This is a term meaning the “involuntary nervous system” (INS), also referred to as the “autonomic nervous system,” becomes imbalanced, so that involuntary functions in the body including adrenal function, heart function and blood pressure become irregular.
Some patients notice this abnormal function in their nervous system especially upon rising from a seated or lying-down position and will feel dizzy and/or faint for a few seconds until their blood pressure adjusts properly. This aspect of dysautonomia is called “orthostatic hypotension,” meaning an abnormal drop in blood pressure with changes in body position.
Some patients may also notice some difficulty with breathing when lying flat on their backs. The anxiety and panic symptoms strongly associated with MVP < as described in research published on the PubMed website (U.S. National Institutes of Health) are believed to be caused by over activity by the “sympathetic branch” of the INS.
Diagnosing MVP
Detecting MVP can be done by some doctors using a stethoscope and listening very closely to a patient’s heartbeat for any abnormal sounds. The murmur will sometimes cause a noticeable clicking sound when listened to closely and this is why the condition is also referred to as a “click murmur”.
Some cases of MVP are elusive to the stethoscope and so an additional test may be ordered called an “echocardiogram”. This test uses ultra-sensitive sound waves (sonogram) that are sent into and around the heart and an echo from these comes back as an image on a screen. This allows the monitoring physician or cardiologist to see if the mitral valve in the heart is closing properly.
Mitral Regurgitation
If the valve does not seal completely with heartbeats, this may also cause the mitral-leaflets attached to the valve to shake lightly or to quiver, which in turn causes the clicking sound sometimes produced when listening with a stethoscope. Some cases of MVP can also cause backflow of blood to escape from the valve that does not properly seal, referred to as “mitral regurgitation.” This can contribute to significant symptoms in some patients.
Treatments
Even when MVP causes mild to moderate symptoms, it is usually a benign condition that may not require treatment. If treatments are administered to address symptoms, these might include beta-blocker medications to help control arrhythmias and blood pressure fluctuations. Replacing any low level of sodium (salt) and/or the mineral magnesium, which can occur in MVP patients, can also help regulate proper heart function and blood pressure.
Lifestyle and diet changes might also be recommended by a treating doctor, including limiting stimulants and refined sugar in the diet, reducing stress and getting proper exercise and proper hydration (water intake). The practices can also help to balance the INS when dysautonomia is present < as described in resource articles by the American Heart Association. In serious cases in which mitral regurgitation is present, surgery may be required to repair the dysfunctioning valve.
Cases requiring surgery are rare and it is usually only recommended if leakage from the mitral valve is causing significant symptoms that are not responsive to other treatments or if blood leakage begins to accumulate in the lungs.
Jim Lowrance - James M. (Jim) Lowrance has authored over 100 book and ebook publications since year 2004.
