Is a mitral valve prolapse dangerous?
Per se, mitral valve prolapse is not dangerous because it does not have a dangerous effect on blood distribution and supply in the body for a long time. The greatest danger is an untreated and worsening mitral valve prolapse. Because if this valve damage is not treated, there is a risk of increasing heart failure (cardiac insufficiency).
This should be prevented in any case, as this is still a serious and dangerous clinical picture today. Although heart insufficiencies can also be reduced by medication, the patient will never become healthy afterwards. Severe heart failure with cardiac enlargement and exhaustion is a life-threatening condition that can also be fatal.
Sport in a mitral valve prolapse
Depending on the extent and severity of the valve prolapse and possibly already accompanying heart failure, exercise may be recommended. In order for the doctor to make this recommendation, numerous factors must be considered. In case of a mild mitral valve prolapse without accompanying symptoms and without heart failure, sport can be performed.
In cases of incipient heart failure due to an untreated mitral valve prolapse, excessive sports activities should be avoided in order not to weaken the heart too much. The cause of the heart failure should first be eliminated. After a valve replacement, in severe heart failure, the heart can be slowly trained again under medical supervision, e.g. in a cardiac sports group. The strict bed rest that used to be the norm in heart failure has now been abandoned, as it is now known that moderate and steady exercise can improve heart failure.
Pregnancy
A mitral valve prolapse in a pregnant woman is very rare and needs to be treated much less frequently. This rarity can be explained by the fact that older people in particular are affected by valve damage. In young people, a mitral valve prolapse can be the result of a previously experienced inflammation of the inner wall of the heart or an inflammation of the heart muscle.
If this valve damage is discovered during pregnancy, a conservative approach should be taken first, since surgical treatment during pregnancy should be prevented by all means in order not to endanger the unborn child. If, in very rare cases, a mitral valve prolapse is so severe that it affects the blood circulation, surgical treatment should be postponed until after birth if possible. A conservative treatment (blood pressure adjustment) can be performed under risk-benefit consideration.
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