Fibrosis of the heart is a disease characterized by accelerated production of collagen and proliferation of connective tissues due to inflammation. This pathology leads to the fact that tissues become denser and scars form in them.
What are the reasons for its appearance? What are the symptoms? How is fibrosis diagnosed, what methods to treat it? Read about in the article.
Reasons
In general cases, these include chronic diseases and inflammatory processes. Less often, the disease occurs after radiation exposure, trauma, severe allergic reactions, infections, and weakened immunity.
However, if we talk about the causes of heart fibrosis (what it is - mentioned above), it should be noted that in this case, the main provoking factor is myocardial infarction, as well as age-related changes in the body.
But even here everything is ambiguous. If, for example, a person is diagnosed with aortic fibrosis, then it is likely that injuries, infectiousdiseases and allergies. When it turns out that the leaflets of the mitral valve are affected, then, most likely, the prerequisites in this case are rheumatic processes. They have a negative effect on connective tissue.
Because each case must be considered separately.
Disease forms
Fibrosis foci of the heart is a limited process. The initial stage of pathology, in other words. If treatment is not started on time, then it will go into a diffuse stage. It is characterized by a large amount of damaged tissue.
The last stage is cystic fibrosis. A separate serious disease that affects the metabolism, and also often leads to the appearance of cysts. They are also known to threaten human life and he alth.
Fibrosis of the aortic valve leaflets
We should start with the discussion of this pathology. Fibrosis of the cusps of the heart valves in this case affects the main artery of the human body - the aorta. It is she who carries out the movement of blood through the systemic circulation.
When this pathology occurs, the wall thickness of one or more valves increases. They cease to be smooth, elastic and thin, which is reflected in their functioning. The tissue grows, the number of capillaries decreases inside it. She begins to receive much less nutrients. As a result, some of the valve cells die. And fibrous tissue is formed. The more it is, the more violations in the valve operation are manifested. It stops tight. Certainsome of the blood leaving the ventricle leaks back into the atrium, causing it to stretch.
Also, with this pathology, the valve opening may narrow. This is fraught with the formation of stenosis.
Preconditions and symptoms
Continuing to talk about such a pathology as fibrosis of the aortic valve of the heart, it is necessary to mention what causes it. The reasons are most often the following:
- Myocardial infarction.
- Infectious diseases of connective tissues.
- Defects of the heart.
- Impaired lung function.
- Excessive exercise that is incompatible with a person's state of he alth.
- Alcohol or nicotine addiction.
- No regime or constant violation of it.
- Chronic stress.
- Taking medication without medical supervision.
- Chronic calcium deficiency.
- Permanently elevated blood cholesterol levels.
- Genetic predisposition.
Valvular fibrosis is indicated by the following symptoms:
- Shortness of breath, even with minor physical exertion and even after eating.
- Decreased performance.
- Paleness and lethargy.
- Unreasonable weight loss.
- Heaviness or tender pain in the chest area.
- High heart rate.
- Swelling of the limbs.
- Dizziness, most common in the morning.
- Tinnitus.
It is necessary to make a reservation that this disease practically does not manifest itself in the early stages. A non-critical condition may be accompanied by mild symptoms. As a rule, patients do not pay attention to this. But how to detect then the pathology at an early stage? To do this, you need to undergo a general examination at least once a year.
Diagnosis
Based on the foregoing, one can understand what cardiac fibrosis is. This is a pathology that practically does not manifest itself in the early stages, and in the future is accompanied by symptoms common to this disease, regardless of its type.
Therefore, universal diagnostic methods are used. At the first stage, each patient must pass general clinical tests of urine, blood, and also undergo an ECG. However, with their help, it is possible to detect only an ischemic or inflammatory process in the myocardium. To make an accurate diagnosis, the following instrumental methods are needed:
- Ultrasound of the heart. This is the most reliable method by which the degree of narrowing or insufficiency of the valve is revealed. It also allows you to evaluate the contractile function of the myocardium and the volume of blood that enters the aorta during systole.
- X-ray. Using this method, it is possible to detect myocardial hypertrophy as a reaction to congestion in the lungs, heart overload, as well as calcium deposits on the valves.
- MRI and CT. These methods are used if there is a need for differential diagnosis. Or just before surgery.
Using listeddiagnostic measures can determine not only how strongly developed fibrosis of the heart. They help to detect inflammatory processes and viral infections in the body. This is important, because they complicate the course of fibrosis, and therefore they must be taken into account when prescribing therapy and treated.
Aortic root fibrosis
This is one of the most common types of this pathology. There are some features that distinguish it from other cardiac fibrosis.
The pathological aortic root is the reason why the patient's respiratory function is disturbed. The blood is simply not enriched with oxygen. Therefore, for many, the skin becomes pale, shortness of breath appears, lips turn blue.
Due to the fact that the pumping function of the heart is reduced, the blood vessels are overloaded. This is fraught with overflow of organs with venous blood. As a result, pressure rises in arterioles and venules, and pathological changes occur.
Over time, heaviness begins to be felt in the right side of the body, edema appears, the contractile function of the myocardium weakens, and heart failure progresses. However, all types of pathologies are fraught with such consequences - whether it is fibrosis of the interventricular septum of the heart or the aortic root. To avoid them, it is necessary to treat the disease. Otherwise, the heart will lose its compensatory capacity.
Fibrosis of the IVS of the heart - what is it?
This also needs to be told. Fibrosis of the IVS is a pathology of the interventricular septum, and quite common. This destructivethe condition is diagnosed in children under the age of three.
It manifests itself in the formation of a message between the left and right ventricles of the heart at the stage of fetal development. This leads to acute hemodynamic disturbances. According to statistics, this anomaly occurs in 17-42% of cases as an independent isolated disease.
Manifested by all of the above symptoms - fatigue, shortness of breath, atrial fibrillation. But besides this, children also have a lag in physical development.
Fibrosis of the IVS of the heart is a very serious pathology. What kind of disease is already clear. But it should also be noted that it is often accompanied by pathologies of non-cardiac localization. It can be Down's syndrome, all kinds of kidney dysfunction, etc.
The factors provoking the formation of this pathology, which can have a particularly strong impact in the first 8 weeks, include:
- Viral lesions.
- Pathogenic bacterial microflora.
- Mumps.
- Pathologies of the endocrine system.
- Drug and alcohol intoxication.
- Radiation ionizing exposure.
- Acute lack of trace elements and vitamins in the diet of a pregnant woman.
- Pronounced toxicosis.
- Risk of miscarriage.
- Taking hormonal drugs.
Also, fibrosis of the heart of this type may have a genetic etiology of occurrence. In such cases, the mutation is combined with anomalies in the development of the limbs and the musculoskeletal system.machine.
Deviations in IVS fibrosis
Hemodynamic intracardiac disorders begin to manifest themselves 3-5 days after the baby is born.
Diagnosis at such an early age is very difficult. There are no extraneous sounds in the heart, since the blood pressure in both ventricular sections is proportional.
This effect has a name - neonatal pulmonary hypertension. Over time, the pressure begins to decrease. Then the gradient necessary for diagnostics is created. And the blood begins to circulate from the area of high pressure to the area of low pressure (from left to right).
Due to its injection through the pathological channel, which occurs under pressure, hypertrophy of the walls of the ventricular cavity occurs. Then the main artery, which connects the heart with the lungs, also expands.
The pressure is growing rapidly, there is a reflex spasm of the lung tissue. Due to the blood discharge of an oxygen-depleted fluid, hypoxia occurs in all muscle tissues and organs. The result is oxygen starvation.
Diagnosis of IVS fibrosis
It is impossible not to tell about her. Suspicion of fibrosis of the septum of the heart can be identified during the examination of the infant by a cardiologist. If a specialist detects at least the slightest symptoms when listening to a muscular organ, he prescribes additional diagnostics with instrumental tools.
Thanks to this, it will be possible to avoid complications in the future. To datethe diagnosis of any dysfunction or pathology is carried out in a complex manner, using ultrasound and X-ray equipment. 2D doppler echocardiography, angiocardiography, etc. may be ordered.
Qualitative diagnostics will help form an objective and complete clinical picture, as well as clarify all the hidden nuances of the pathological process.
Because septal fibrosis in infants is detected at an early stage, it is often possible to refrain from surgery. But dynamic monitoring of the child's condition is necessary. Rarely, a defective shunt closes spontaneously between 1 and 4 years of age.
In other situations, conservative therapy or surgical correction is indicated.
Pathology of the cusps of the heart
Another common type of disease. Fibrosis of the leaflets of the heart (more precisely, the mitral valve) is a pathology resulting from rheumatic processes or infections. How is it characterized? Compacted leaflet of the mitral valve. As a result of fibrosis, it loses its elasticity. Often scars form on the valves.
With this pathology, the valve loses its ability to open the hole between the ventricle and the atrium, and then close it.
If this condition is not treated in time, diffuse myocardial fibrosis or coronary blood supply failure may occur.
Symptoms are the same as in the case of pathologies of other types. Whatabout diagnostics? In this case, a two-dimensional echocardiography is a more effective method than ultrasound performed for cardiac fibrosis.
This procedure allows you to study the mitral valve in the projection of the transverse and longitudinal sections. The 2D image makes it possible to assess the changes that have occurred in the valve structure, detect regurgitation, and also calculate the pressure in the pulmonary artery.
Also, with fibrosis of the heart valves, X-rays are mandatory. The resulting image shows congested lung roots and pleural lines along the costal and interlobar pleura.
Treatment
Every person who cares about the topic under consideration is interested in whether fibrosis originating from the left ventricle of the heart can be cured?
In the event that the pathology has not formed so clearly as to lead to regurgitation or stenosis, therapy is not required. You just need to lead a he althy lifestyle, keep a regimen, avoid stressful situations, as well as regularly see a cardiologist and conduct echocardioscopy.
However, in the presence of arterial hypertension, myocardial ischemia, atrial fibrillation, etc., you will need to choose therapy according to the nature of the disease.
In the event that cardiac fibrosis is already accompanied by all of the above symptoms, or even insufficiency has occurred, glycosides and diuretics will be required. As a rule, "Digoxin" (dosed at 0.25 mg) is prescribed, half a tablet twice a day. The course lasts 5 days. Of the diuretics, "Indapamide" is prescribed, which must be taken according to2.5 or 1.5mg in the morning.
If the pathology is severe, then the treatment of cardiac fibrosis is not complete without Veroshpiron (50 or 25 mg each), Furosemide (20-80 mg) and Diuver (5 or 10 mg). All of these drugs should be taken in the morning.
Surgery
It is necessary if the patient is diagnosed with significant fibrosis of the heart. Because the pathology of this level leads to valvular stenosis of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th degree.
Typically, in these cases, patients are referred for valve replacement surgery or surgical incision of adhesions, also called commissurotomy.
Such procedures in our time are carried out in different ways. They can operate on an open heart using a heart-lung machine. Or use intravascular access, through the peripheral large arteries, which include the femoral, inguinal, etc.
As a rule, mechanical modern prostheses made of synthetic materials are used. A little less often, biological ones are used, made from boar valves.
In the event that a patient with fibrosis of the heart has formed insufficiency of the valve leaflets, surgical plastic surgery is performed with suturing of the leaflets that do not close. Or they perform prosthetics.
Forecast and consequences
This should be told in the end. Unfortunately, it rarely happens that with fibrosis of the heart there are no consequences. They come up sooner or later. How bigthe probability of their occurrence depends on the reason for which it was originally formed.
So, the formation of heart defects is much more common than insufficiency or stenosis. Atherosclerosis of the aortic walls with calcium deposits leads to non-rheumatic disease. So it is impossible to predict exactly what consequences you will have to face.
And complications, in turn, determine the prognosis. If fibrosis is not accompanied by regurgitation or stenosis, then it will be favorable. But in the presence of hemodynamically significant defects, the person's condition will not be the best.
If an operation is indicated, then the forecast will depend on the timeliness of its implementation. In the case of a successful surgical intervention, a person's life expectancy increases, and its quality improves significantly.
Memo to the patient
Every person who is faced with fibrosis of any kind, form and stage should understand that in order to maintain the quality of life, as well as to avoid deterioration of the condition, he will have to adjust his lifestyle and habits.
You will need to give up alcohol and nicotine, completely exclude coffee, strong tea, cocoa and energy drinks from your diet. They need to be replaced with decoctions of medicinal herbs that have a positive effect on immunity.
You will also have to take better care of your he alth. It is impossible to allow the penetration of infections into the body! They negatively affect the state of the body, and also weaken the immune defense.
For the same reason in spring andin winter, you will need to take additional mineral and vitamin complexes. This is necessary in order to increase the body's resistance to harmful bacteria and viruses. Which complexes will need to be drunk, the doctor will tell the patient after the examination.
And finally, a person needs to avoid overexertion, stress and physical overload. And if he gets sick with an infectious or viral disease, you will need to urgently contact a therapist. It is important to clarify the presence of fibrosis - the specialist will definitely take this fact into account when prescribing treatment.
