Mitral Valve Regurgitation

Living With Mitral Valve Regurgitation

After you are diagnosed with mitral valve regurgitation (MR), it is important to watch for symptoms of heart failure. These indicate that your heart is weakening and MR is getting worse. Symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, fatigue, and swelling in your feet and ankles. If new symptoms develop or preexisting symptoms become worse, call your doctor.

You may need to be cautious about physical activity. If you don't exercise, talk to your doctor before you start. You may be able to do certain types of exercise that don't put undue strain on your heart. If you have a physically demanding job, you may need to change careers. Talk with your doctor to determine a safe level of activity.

Your doctor may advise you to limit sodium in your diet. If you consume too much salt, it will cause your body to retain excess fluid. Most of the sodium in our diets comes from processed foods, not the salt shaker. Foods to avoid include potato chips, pretzels, salted nuts, processed meats and cheeses, pizza, canned soups, canned vegetables, olives, fast foods, and frozen dinners (unless the label clearly states the product is low-sodium).

When you are grocery shopping, check labels carefully for sodium content. Your doctor may advise you to limit salt to less than 2,300 mg a day. Add more fresh fruit and vegetables to your diet to replace foods high in sodium. Read labels carefully to identify sources of hidden sodium in your diet.

Mitral valve regurgitation puts you at risk for an infection in your heart (endocarditis), because blood does not flow normally. So bacteria or fungi may attach to heart tissue and cause an infection. Before you have any dental work or surgery (which could put bacteria or fungi into your blood), tell everyone who will treat you that you are at risk for endocarditis.

If you have an artificial valve, getting endocarditis is even more dangerous for you. So your doctor may prescribe antibiotics before you have certain dental or surgical procedures.

More Information: What treatment do I need following valve surgery? Can I exercise if I have mitral valve regurgitation? What if I'm pregnant or want to become pregnant? Do I need to change the way I eat when I am taking warfarin (Coumadin)?

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Author:	Kathe Gallagher, MSW Cynthia Tank	Last Updated: April 3, 2006
Medical Review:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology
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