Title : Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome - Being Different
When I was twelve, our stern, tiny-town physician diagnosed me with mitral valve prolapse (MVP), though he never explained the disorder. During my teens I had strange symptoms some other girls didn't experience: fainting, fatigue, as well as eyes burning as though wind blew constantly into them. My mother noticed as well as trotted me off to of which detestable, cursing physician.
In his office he scolded me in his nasal voice, "There's not a damn thing wrong with you. God Almighty, don't give your poor mother something more to worry about. Think about her instead of being selfish. What you need is actually a psychiatrist." I can see his face redden with anger.
Didn't he remember? Earlier, after his MVP diagnosis, he had curtailed any sports with the use of my arms, which is actually not the way MVP is actually handled currently. According to him, in two years I would likely be fine. Actually I had felt better before the sports restriction. Without sports For just two years I had lost muscle strength as well as tone.
MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE
MVP is actually the most commonly inherited heart problem within the United States. Yet the idea is actually listed with the National Organization of Rare Disorders (NORD) because the disorder is actually not completely understood or acknowledged by most physicians. While the statistics vary with sources, the estimated percentage who have This particular problem includes as many as thirty percent in This particular country. According to a survey within the late 80s, three times more women have MVP than men.
The heart has four valves inside the idea to pump the blood in as well as out: the aortic, the mitral, the pulmonary, as well as the tricuspid. The mitral valve acts like a door between the left atrium as well as the left ventricle within the heart. When the lower part of a normal heart contracts, the mitral valve closes as well as prevents any blood leakage into the upper chamber. With MVP, the valve balloons out of shape. A physician hears This particular through a stethoscope as a click. If the valve shifts enough, the idea can allow some blood to flow back into the upper chamber, as well as the physician hears a murmur.
Have you heard your own heart through a stethoscope? Have you heard the click or the murmur? Ask your physician to allow you to do This particular. the idea's important you know what sound your heart makes. Of course, some murmurs as well as clicks are difficult even for a cardiologist to detect. yet give the idea a try. If you squat, the hardest position on the heart, you will hear the idea. One woman chose her physician based on whether the physician could hear her murmur.
However, This particular structural defect is actually not what usually causes the myriad of symptoms. Most MVP people have healthy hearts.
MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE SYNDROME WITH DYSAUTONOMIA
A syndrome is actually a collection of symptoms which has more than one cause, whereas a disease carries 1 cause. MVPS/D carries a recognizable pattern of symptoms as well as signs. As the physicians as well as researchers understand, the symptoms reflect a failure of control mechanisms, specifically within the nervous system. The more they learn about the disorder, the more likely they will be able to find 1 cause as well as convert MVPS/D to a disease status.
The nervous system is actually divided into two parts: voluntary as well as involuntary. The involuntary nervous system, also known as the autonomic nervous system (ANS), is actually more complex as well as controls most bodily functions such as Centeng temperature, sweating, blood pressure, heart rate, salivation, pupil dilation as well as contraction, sleep-wakefulness balance, intestinal functions, digestion, as well as many others. This particular system has two major divisions: sympathetic, which speeds up the system, as well as the parasympathetic, which slows the system.
The physicians connect some MVP symptoms to the ANS, an imbalance known as dysautonomia or an autonomic (which means automatic) nervous system dysfunction. Therefore, when the MVP patient experiences symptoms of which involve the ANS, the physicians refer to the disorder as mitral valve prolapse syndrome with dysautonomia, the most common type of dysautonomia.
The central problem of MVPS/D is actually the Centeng's excessive response to adrenaline as well as adrenaline-like hormones. (Hormones as well as nerves serve as control systems within the Centeng.) Most MVPS/D patients have a bit too much noradrenaline, a related hormone. Most of the symptoms come by various organs' over-responsiveness to even normal amounts of adrenaline-like hormones.
Thus, you can see the idea would likely be best for MVPS/D patients to minimize the Discharge of adrenaline into their blood streams. Of course stimulants of any kind-caffeine, sugar, alcohol, chocolate, aspartame, NutraSweet, Splenda, monosodium glutamate, as well as some over-the-counter medications, those containing caffeine, epinephrine, ephedrine, as well as pseudoephedrine-should be eliminated by your diet. Stimulants can include people as well as activities. Movies, at times, can over-stimulate my system, even talking.
Check with your physician before a therapist uses electricity, which can trigger symptoms. Patients should allow only moderate sun as well as heat exposure as well as gradually progress to condition their bodies to exercise. These cautions will sustain a high blood volume. A higher blood volume means an adrenaline increase is actually less likely. Patients also need to control their responses to stressful emotional situations. Yeah, right! of which's a trick in itself.
Debbie Petersen, who has yet to get her symptoms under control, calls the dysautonomia part an everyday hell to live with. "Right currently the idea's just trial as well as error every day."
'I was so happy to know there was a name for what is actually partly wrong with me: dysautonomia," wrote Rita McNeil. "Most people have never heard of the idea, let alone know what the idea means."
"The disorder takes a significant toll on lifestyle as well as work capacity," commented Linda Smith of the National Dysautonomia Research Foundation (NDRF).
Dr. David H. P. Streeten, a research pioneer for orthostatic intolerance (OI), sums the impact of dysautonomia on a person's life: "While we are not constantly aware of the activity of the autonomic nervous system as we are of unusual sensory as well as motor events, the normal functioning of the autonomic nervous system day as well as night, by heart-beat to heart-beat, plays a largely unconscious yet vital role in our livelihood. the idea is actually not surprising, therefore, of which autonomic abnormalities, though they are usually more difficult to recognize than a severe pain, a sensory loss, or paralysis of a limb, may be even more important in impairing the quality as well as even jeopardizing the continuation of life."
SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA
The astronauts experience similar problems when they take off by Earth as well as land by outer space. Dr. Andrew Gaffney, cardiologist as well as astronaut, served as Payload Specialist on Spacelab Sciences 1 as part of a Space Shuttle Columbia mission within the early 90s to study the astronauts' problems.
Understanding how our MVPS/D problems work helped him understand why the astronauts experience their symptoms such as dizziness as well as faintness when they stand. During the early part of the space flight, Dr. Gaffney flew that has a catheter inserted into his arm vein to record the blood pressure around his heart. Within a few hours after lift-off, his blood pressure as well as blood volume dropped remarkably, according to well-known Science Magazine, March, 1993.
"As we sort out of which data," Dr. Gaffney said, "we are learning a lot more about where the blood goes, where the idea is actually stored-in terms of the venous system, as well as the relationship between the adrenalin levels as well as the blood volume."
Dr. Gaffney, chief of clinical cardiology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Memphis, TN, describes what he knows MVPS/D to be: "There is actually a primary abnormality of autonomic tone to ensure these people tend to be vascularly constricted." of which constriction leads to shrinkage of blood volume. The lower volume feeds back as well as causes more constriction as well as of which becomes a vicious cycle.
of which cycle contributes to the symptoms such as fatigue. "We all know patients who are anemic have fatigue, as well as everybody understands of which," Dr. Gaffney said. "Well, the idea is actually perhaps a little more difficult to understand (with MVPS/D). You can hold the right amount of blood volume yet if you don't have enough red cells within the idea, then you get tired because you don't deliver the oxygen. of which's anemia. You can hold the right concentration of red blood cells, so you are not anemic, yet if you don't have enough blood, then the idea is actually the same problem. Absolute number of red blood cells of which carry the oxygen is actually what determines whether you can exercise more."
BLOOD VOLUME
"Blood volume is actually critical to prevent symptoms by starting," said Susan Elliott, who taught physics before MVPS/D symptoms changed her lifestyle. "When blood volume gets low, the idea tends to trigger a chain of reactive events of which cause things like tachycardia, feeling too hot or too cold."
Even a slight imbalance within the ANS can cause low blood volume in MVP patients. Up to twenty-5 percent lower. The thirst signal fails to turn on, keeping the blood volume low.
the idea is actually very important for people with MVPS/D to drink at least 70 ounces of fluids daily, more if the temperature is actually higher. A not bad way to remember the amount is actually if the temperature is actually higher than 70, drink the equal number of ounces to the degrees in temperature. Such as if the idea is actually 86 degrees, drink 86 ounces of fluids. An easy way to achieve This particular is actually to keep a water bottle with you as well as try to drink eight ounces every hour. as well as to make the idea truly fun, sing the tune to "Pump Up the Volume," by M/A/R/R/S.
Susan also found the more water, the less her MVPS symptoms such as twisting leg muscles. Also included in her regimen were potassium, zinc, as well as magnesium, minerals helpful to heart as well as muscular function as well as energy metabolism.
Fluids "fake out your Centeng," Susan says, generating the idea seem to have higher blood volume. She drinks a gallon of water a day, always remembering to salt the water or eat something salty with the idea. The salt helps retain water as well as valuable nutrients such as potassium. Another thought is actually to intake fluids with salt present like sports drinks or soups. However, patients with hypertension (high blood pressure) need to consult their physician first.
VERTICAL VS HORIZONTAL
When a MVPS/D person lies down, she can immediately experience symptoms such as tachycardia or heart pounding. "If you lie flat, of which can produce too much blood to your head as well as heart too fast," Susan said.
While we are vertical, the blood circulates the entire Centeng with less volume than people without MVP. When our bodies become horizontal, the blood floods the head as well as the heart chambers, causing the symptoms, until the pumping adjusts.
To offset This particular, some people sleep on a slight incline such as in a recliner. To create her slant, Susan puts a board beneath her headboard. Pat Conrad sleeps on two pillows. Then her palpitations are "not so extreme." When the heart pain continues, she elevates her feet. My husband as well as I use two thick encyclopedia volumes of which help me as well as his gastrointestinal reflux disorder (GERD).
ORTHOSTATIC INTOLERANCE (OI)
People take their ability to stand for granted. OI patients do not. Daily they struggle with the symptoms brought on by the vertical position. Upon standing, a person with orthostatic hypotension, another word for OI, might experience lightheadedness, dizziness, palpitations (throbbing or heavy beats), tremulousness, visual adjustments, a stuffed head feeling, ears ringing or buzzing, fainting, as well as poor concentration because her blood pressure has suddenly fallen. About a half million Americans have OI, according to the National Dysautonomia Research Foundation.
Being upright produces blood pooling within the lower abdomen as well as limbs, blood which is actually no longer available to the upper Centeng. With an effective ANS, the Centeng quickly compensates by increasing the heart rate as well as some other cardiac output.
When the OI person stands, her blood volume lowers, her blood vessels lose an excessive amount of plasma, as well as her kidneys pour out salt.
Some patients experience fatigue, tachycardia (abnormally rapid heartbeats), as well as shortness of breath, which is actually termed sympathontonic or hyperadrenergic orthostatic hypotension because the sympathetic part of the ANS increases.
Not every patient has all these abnormalities. Most OI patients have a mild case which can improve over weeks or months. Most will eventually be free of their symptoms.
However, in patients with severe symptoms or that has a sudden ANS alteration such as actor-director Christopher Reeves experienced with his fall, the recovery may never come.
A few some other names used for OI are as follows:
orthostatic tachycardia syndrome
postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
hyperadrenergic postural hypotension
partial dysautonomia
sympathotonic orthostatic hypotension
hyperadrenergic orthostatic hypotension
mitral valve prolapse syndrome
SUPPLEMENTAL HELP
CALCIUM
Calcium, the Centeng's most abundant mineral, is actually located mostly within the bones as well as teeth because its function is actually to build as well as maintain bones as well as teeth. the idea also is actually essential for healthy blood, regular heart beats, as well as proper nerve transmission. Calcium is actually beneficial for cardiovascular disorders. Cases of calcium deficiency have provoked heart palpitations, slow pulse rates, as well as excessive irritability of nerves as well as muscles.
The best supplemental source lies in calcium lactate or gluconate because these are natural derivatives as well as easier to absorb. Foods rich in calcium are milk products, green leafy vegetables, shellfish, as well as molasses.
MAGNESIUM
This particular necessary mineral lives within the Centeng cells to activate enzymes for the metabolism of carbohydrates as well as amino acids. the idea helps to regulate the acid-alkaline balance as well as to promote absorption as well as metabolism of some other minerals as well as vitamins. With nearly 70 percent of the idea located within the bones, magnesium aids during bone growth, is actually vital for proper nerve, muscle, as well as heart functions, helps regulate Centeng temperature as well as blood sugar convert to energy. Magnesium is actually alkaline, so the idea should not be taken after meals yet can be used in place of antacids.
This particular mineral can help prevent heart attacks as well as depression. the idea is actually beneficial for neuromuscular disorders, nervousness, as well as sensitivity to noise. Contrary to the old sayings, magnesium helps form the hard tooth enamel of which resists decay, not calcium.
Large amounts of magnesium can be toxic if the calcium is actually low as well as phosphorus is actually high. Magnesium loss increases with the use of diuretics as well as alcohol. Foods rich in This particular mineral are seafood, whole grains, dark-green vegetables, molasses, as well as nuts.
POTASSIUM
Elaine Hansen had spells of irregular heartbeats of which would likely last up to twelve hours, often during the night. She felt very tired afterwards. Her family physician said the cause was low potassium.
This particular essential mineral works with sodium to help normalize the heartbeat. If you're prone to palpitations, you might feel them when you are within the low-to-normal range for serum potassium. When they come on, try drinking orange juice to help the palpitations go away.
Together, potassium as well as sodium regulate the Centeng's water balance, i.e. they distribute the fluids on the cells' walls. They equalize the acid-alkali factor, help in muscle contraction as well as expansion as well as in nerve stimulation. With phosphorus, potassium sends oxygen to the brain as well as with calcium regulates neuromuscular activity. This particular is actually a handy little mineral for our bodies.
However, potassium as well as sodium must be in balance or excessive salt will deplete potassium. Alcohol as well as excessive sugar can deplete both potassium as well as magnesium. Potassium is actually excreted through urination as well as perspiration. Foods with potassium are lean meats, whole grains, vegetables, dried fruits, legumes, as well as sunflower seeds. A high potassium level can be life-threatening as well as can occur in renal failure.
SODIUM
Half of our Centeng's sodium is actually found within the extra-cellular fluids such as the blood vessels, arteries, veins, as well as capillaries. As I wrote within the last section, sodium works in conjunction with potassium. the idea keeps some other blood minerals soluble so they won't become deposits in the bloodstream. Foods naturally rich in sodium are seafood, celery, milk products, table salt, as well as baking powder.
WATER
In elementary school we learned water is actually two-thirds of our Centeng weight, so we know the idea's our Centeng's most important nutrient. the idea makes up about 70 percent of our weight. We can live longer without food than we can without water. Water is actually needed for everything by maintaining Centeng temperature to carrying away our waste. For MVPS/D, water is actually essential to maintain a level high blood volume.
My young neighbor Ryan had a problem with constipation. His parents used all the usual remedies. Still, Ryan might wait as long as 5 days without a bowel movement.
Finally his doctor asked how much water he drank daily. When his mother answered, the doctor said of which was sufficient for some; however, some people's colons absorb water at different rates. The faster the absorbency, the firmer the stools. Presumably then (assuming no some other variants), the more water one drinks, the softer the stools.
I never considered water as an answer to my irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). I had assured myself I drank enough water. Besides, my stools usually change when I've overworked as well as my some other symptoms, such as migraine as well as fatigue, come out of hiding.
When I began drinking my gallon (as well as of which takes discipline!), my stools softened to normal consistency without my some other MVPS/D appearing. Since I've been on the gallon regimen, my stools have been firm or softened, never irritably hard.
Of course, some other elements can be involved such as the foods we eat as well as much more. Chocolate as well as red meats harden stools. I discovered . . . for me . . . of which water helped my IBS.
Someone commented about drinking too much water. within the May, 2000, issue of Town as well as Country magazine, Diane Quagliani, a registered dietitian as well as spokesman for the American Dietetic Association, was quoted, "Everyone loses about ten cups of water daily, so the idea's important to drink about eight eight-ounce cups of fluid-the rest is actually made up by water in foods as well as the water the Centeng makes in metabolism. The bigger, more active, as well as more overheated you are, the more fluids you should take in. Taking in too much (water) is actually not very likely, unless the idea is actually gallons a day, as well as the main danger would likely be flushing out too many electrolytes. Healthy kidneys can keep up with most consumption."
Others complained they would likely have to run to the potty more often. In hot humid weather, the average person should eliminate urine every two hours if the person drinks sufficient water to cover sweating, according to my family physician.
When I tried the gallon experiment, some days I hit the toilet plunger more than the norm. yet another day I wouldn't. What is actually normal anyway? The question should be "What is actually best for your Centeng?"
The Town as well as Country article writer, Ila Stranger, wrote of which the idea "makes sense of which drinking enough water is actually bound to help us avoid dehydration-which can happen as easily within the overheated rooms of midwinter as within the summer sun-as well as make us look as well as feel alive as well as well."
Each day I grab a gallon jug of spring water or fill a gallon pitcher as well as set the idea on the counter to remind me to strive to drink more water. Not only for my IBS yet for my blood volume, blood pressure, as well as the many some other tasks my Centeng constantly performs. I've found within the winter lukewarm water is actually swallowed easier. Ice water is actually a shock to the throat, sometimes even in hot weather.
Some people prefer to drink mineral water rather than tap water. Others use well water. Neither should be relied upon for a person's source of minerals. Distilled means the water has been boiled water with all harmful or beneficial minerals eliminated. Fruits as well as vegetables are not bad dietary sources for chemically pure water, which is actually 100 percent pure hydrogen as well as oxygen. The use of these are an individual choice.
The Environmental Protection Agency's hot line is actually 1-800-426-4791; its website is actually http://www.epa.gov/safewater. The Natural Resources Defense Council website (www.nrdc.org) contains in its archives the results of a recent four-year study on bottled waters. The author of the summary results is actually Dr. Andrew Weil on the website http://www.pathfinder.com/drweil.
ANTIBIOTICS
Before any invasive procedures, MVPS/D patients with valve leakage should take antibiotics to prevent bacterial infection by forming on their valve. Such as dental work, Centeng piercing, tattoo, as well as surgery. A few years ago the physicians recommended antibiotics for all MVP patients. currently only those with definite regurgitation (leakage) are urged to do This particular, as well as the dosage has been cutback to only before the procedure.
For some other surgeries as well as procedures you can consult with your physician or the MVP clinics.
RESEARCH IN MVPS/D
Dr. Al Davies, associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, has led the MVPS/D research of chemical reactions between adrenaline as well as several important proteins.
The proteins are located near the lining membrane of a cell of a Centeng organ. Three proteins of greatest importance are: the receptor on the cell's surface, a G-protein located inward, as well as an enzyme called adenylyl cyclase on the inside cell membrane's surface.
Normally, adrenaline attaches to the receptor protein, which combines with the G-protein. (Full name is actually stimulatory guanine nucleotide regulatory protein.) Once these are activated, they turn on the enzyme which causes internal actions such as rising blood pressure or increased heart rate.
Dr. Davies as well as his colleagues have shown of which the MVPS/D patient's abnormally increased sensitivity to adrenaline is actually due to an overly active, abnormal G-protein.
The possibilities to the question "Why?" are numerous. as well as there are many steps before a full answer as well as treatment are developed. The researchers thought This particular might be due to an abnormal gene since the illness is actually hereditary. However, their studies show the gene is actually normal.
To the MVPS/D patient, of which finding carries expect because the cause is actually not something as simple as a bad gene passed down by our grandfather. Something happens to the protein after the gene makes the idea as well as before the adrenaline activates the idea.
Editor of the November, 1998, special American Journal of Medical Sciences supplement on OI, Dr. David Robertson entitled the issue "Epidemic of Orthostatic Tachycardia as well as Orthostatic Intolerance." Dr. Robinson writes of which many centers actively pursue OI research as well as expect rapid improvements in diagnosis as well as therapy. The director of the Clinical Research Center at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, he adds, "A healthy appearing 20-year-old woman with dizziness, palpitations, as well as fatigue is actually certainly no longer passed over as having a psychosomatic illness!" Well, maybe not in Nashville. Generally the tilt table test is actually used to diagnose a dysautonomia.
MANY PHYSICIANS' ATTITUDES
My former country physician may sound old-fashioned as well as something of the past; however, we with MVPS/D know his attitude remains with most of the physicians we meet today. One of the tough barriers we have to get around is actually finding a knowledgeable, caring physician.
For most people who have diabetes, cancer, or even strange diseases, they can contact a physician, as well as within a few visits they have their illnesses diagnosed. They are believed by the time they enter the physician's office.
We with MVPS/D are not believed. We must research our own disorder, be abreast of the latest drug regimens, carry literature about our illness to give to the physician, as well as then know the physician probably will not consider our illness legitimate or treat us. the idea's just crazy when you think about the idea! How much proof does a physician need? Why can't they keep informed about MVPS/D when a fifth of the nation has MVP as well as might possibly become symptomatic?
Education as well as research are keys to solving the MVPS/D puzzle in our bodies. With these always lies expect. Miles as well as miles of expect!
Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome - Being Different
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