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Valvular stenosis is a condition in which there is a narrowing, stiffening, thickening, fusion or blockage of one or more valves of the heart. The four valves of the heart are the aortic valve and mitral valve on the left side of the heart, and the pulmonic valve and tricuspid valve on the right side of the heart.
The narrowed (stenosed) valve(s) may interfere with blood flow through the heart or from the heart into the arteries that lead to the body (aorta) and lungs (pulmonary artery). Normally, blood flows smoothly through the valves when they open. When a narrowed valve prevents blood from flowing freely, the heart must work harder. Over time, this overload can damage the heart’s lower chambers (ventricles) and upper chambers (atria). This may be accompanied by other conditions, such as:
- Damage to the heart muscle (myocardium)
- Enlargement and thickening (hypertrophy) of the heart muscle
- Heart failure, which causes congestion in the lungs (pulmonary congestion) and/or swelling (edema) in the legs
- Valvular regurgitation, in which blood leaks back through a valve in the wrong direction
- Arrhythmia, in which the heart pumps in an abnormal rhythm (e.g., atrial fibrillation)
- Blood clots, which can form in the heart and travel to other parts of the body, including the brain where they can cause stroke
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