The heart has four chambers two of which collect blood called the atria and the other two namely the ventricles pump the collected blood out. There are four valves within your heart two of them, the mitral on the left and the tricuspid valve on the right connect the collecting chambers (the atria) to the pumping chambers( the ventricles) while the other two, the aortic on the left and pulmonary on the right are placed between the ventricles and the great arteries. The valves open in the forward direction and act as trapdoors making sure that blood flows in only one direction through the heart. Any change in this function can cause a strain on the heart and result in valvular heart disease.The valves are made of thin leaflets which can be two in the case of the mitral valve and three in the rest of them. These leaflets are thin and made of elastic connective tissue. They can be damaged by diseases and altered flow patterns. The leaflets are supported in their function by thin strands of tissue that hold the valve to the heart muscle, these are called the chords. Any shortening or lengthening in them can lead to improper functioning of the valves and leaks
The valves of our heart are god’s gift to us. They are unparalleled in their longevity if we take good care of them. The valves can be affected by multiple conditions starting from birth defects to acquired infections. Each one of these conditions affects them in multiple ways in this section we strive to give the reader a better understanding of what causes this damage
