HVD is predominantly caused by congenital defects, ischaemic heart disease (caused by reduced blood to the heart) and infection. In order to really understand HVD, it is necessary to have some basic comprehension of how the heart valves function.
According to Health24, the heart consists of four valves: two inlet valves and two outlet valves. The valves serve as a type of ‘one-way door’, comprised of special ring-shaped tissue and found between the heart chambers. Essentially, they direct the blood flow in one direction through the left and right ventricles of the heart. The right-hand side of the heart receives deoxygenated, used blood from the body which it pumps to the lungs, while the left-hand side receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs which it pumps to the rest of the body.
Source: http://www.insurancesaysno.co.za/heart-valve-disorders/
Image Source: http://www.brighamandwomens.org/
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