Mitral Stenosis is a medical condition caused due to
narrowing of the mitral valve opening from the left atrium into the left
ventricle. This condition is usually caused due to rheumatic fever, congenital
causes, and chronic autoimmune diseases. The inflammation and resulting damage
to the mitral valves may become apparent several decades after the actual
infection has occurred. While there may be no symptoms with mild stenosis, as
the condition progresses and the mitral valve orifice becomes less than 1cm 2,
symptoms of breathlessness, lung congestion, and heart failure become apparent.
Atrial fibrillation may also develop gradually.
Conservative treatment includes medicines to prevent infection,
reduce lung congestion, treat atrial fibrillation, and prevent embolism. Surgical
treatment includes mitral valvotomy or mitral valve replacement. Ayurvedic
treatment can be successfully included in the long term management of mitral
stenosis. The goal of this additional treatment is to increase the symptom free
period by at least another decade or so, reduce the need for surgical
treatment, improve quality of life, reduce the risk of complications, and help
improve overall long term survival.
Ayurvedic herbal medicines improve heart function and
efficiency, reduce the load on the heart, reduce lung congestion, treat
fibrillation, and help reduce inflammation and calcium deposits on the valve,
thereby making the valve leaflets more pliable. Herbal medicines act on heart
muscle, as well as on the tiny tendon chords attached to the valves, thereby
improving the valve functional efficiency and delaying further stenosis.
Once symptoms are brought under control, other medicines are
used to increase heart performance and endurance, so that the overall symptom
free period is increased and overall life span of the patient too increases.
The medicines required for each individual patient may differ, and the dosages
required too may be different, depending upon the overall medical status of
each affected individual, the response to treatment, and associated medical
history and complications. Initial treatment may be for about 6-8 months, while
a few medicines for maintenance may be required for another 6 months. Some patients
with severe valve disease and declared unsuitable for surgery may require a few
Ayurvedic herbal medicines on a lifelong basis.
Ayurvedic herbal treatment can thus be judiciously utilized
in the long term management of mitral stenosis.
