Many have heard that there is such a disease - mitral valve prolapse. But not everyone knows where the valve is located, how dangerous this ailment is during physical exertion. In this regard, young people are often interested in the following: if there is mitral valve prolapse, are they taken into the army.
Where is it located?
The mitral valve is located between the left atrium and the right ventricle. It has two valves that open during contractions of the left ventricle. Oxygenated blood is pushed from the right atrium into the left ventricle, from which it then carries oxygen to other organs. The mitral valve prevents blood from flowing back into the left ventricle.
What is mitral valve prolapse?
During operation, the valve flaps fit snugly against each other and close due to the fact that the valve is tight enough. Sometimes it is a little stretched, so it cannot tightly close the entrance to the left ventricle. As a result, the bloodthrown back into the stomach. In medicine, the disease is abbreviated as PMK. There are three degrees of the disease, which depend on the degree of deflection of the valves:
- I degree - the mildest condition, when the disease occurs asymptomatically, a person may not be aware of MVP;
- II degree - valve deflection is more significant, can cause pain in the heart with autonomic reactions, dizziness, pre-syncope and fainting, but does not require treatment;
- III degree - the magnitude of the backflow of blood is significant, requires surgical intervention to correct the flow.
If you have mitral valve prolapse, do you join the army?
If a person has MVP of I-II degree, the disease does not require treatment. Most often it occurs without symptoms. The presence of prolapse can only be determined by echocardiography. In the process of diagnosis, it is possible to determine the degree of sagging, the amount of reverse flow and the presence of concomitant disorders. Visually, prolapse can be detected only with a strong reflux of blood into the left ventricle when listening to the heart rhythm. In this case, soft systolic murmurs are recorded. Therefore, the question of whether there is mitral valve prolapse, whether they are taken to the army, unambiguously “yes” can be answered when the disease does not manifest itself (stages I-II). In this case, the disease does not affect physical activity, an active lifestyle. In other cases, the conclusion of a cardiologist is required.
How to fix PMK?
On the first andthe second stage of treatment is not required. If there are vegetative reactions, dizziness, pain in the region of the heart, especially during physical exertion, therapy consists in eliminating such manifestations. Surgical intervention is performed with third-degree MVP, when blood is thrown back in a strong stream, causing acute heart failure. In severe cases, the valve is replaced with an artificial analogue, but the latter has a limited service life: approximately 15 years. When worn, it needs to be replaced again. Most often, the disease is diagnosed in adolescents during a period of active growth, when the heart does not have time to develop as quickly. This is primary mitral valve prolapse. In this case, the question of whether there is mitral valve prolapse, whether they are taken to the army, you can answer “yes”, but only with the first degree of MVP.
