The thought of having to live with mitral valve prolapse, a condition marked by heart problems and subsequent fatigue symptoms, sounds scary, but the truth is, it can be quite bearable with the right treatment and good health practices.
Here’s some things you can do to keep mitral valve prolapse at bay:
1. Get Diagnosed
Diagnosis is necessary to create a path to recovery. Tests like CT scans, chest x-rays, or echocardiograms are usually performed by a physician in order to check the status of MVP in patients. Attending regular doctor follow-ups is especially recommended in order to receive the most accurate diagnosis.
The next treatment option will require you to hold yourself accountable…
2. Take Medication
Certain medications, like beta-blockers, help relieve symptoms of MVP. Beta-blocker medication helps keeps your blood pressure under control. Doctors often prescribe metoprolol (Lopressor), atenolol (Tenormin), and propranolol (Inderal) to relieve the more common symptoms.
Using herbal and natural products is always a good option to treat MVP…
3. Use Natural Remedies
Herbal remedies can help mitigate the symptoms of MVP. Kava, for example, relieves anxiety, palpitations, and general pain, while hops are used for their anti-inflammatory properties and have been found to prevent thrombosis.
The next suggestion can help more than your MVP symptoms…
4. Quit Smoking
For MVP, smoking exacerbates regurgitation and increases the chances of a heart attack, so it’s important to give up the habit so as to evade further risks and problems. If you’ve smoked for a long time, you might need to ask your doctor for help quitting.
While we are discussing quitting bad habits, you might want to put down the bottles, too…
5. Avoid Alcohol & Caffeinated Beverages
Alcoholic and caffeinated drinks can cause heart problems, including palpitations, and worsen other MVP symptoms. For this reason, it’s prudent to reduce both alcohol and caffeine intake as much as possible when treating MVP.
Another way to treat the symptoms that come along with MVP have something to do with your weight…
6. Lose Weight
Weight loss helps maintain a healthy blood volume, blood pressure, and heart size. For this reason, shedding excess weight can also help lessen the impact of mitral valve prolapse symptoms on the body.
A successful weight loss journey would be incomplete without this next treatment option…
7. Eat A Healthy Diet
Heart-healthy foods such as fruits, leafy vegetables, whole grains, fatty fish, lean meats, and low-fat or nonfat dairy foods are ideal foods for people with MVP. People with MVP should also avoid salty and sugary foods as much as possible.
For people looking for another nutrient-dense option, it helps to have an extra boost every once in a while…
8. Take Supplements
Taking dietary supplements with magnesium, l-carnitine, and B-vitamins has shown to be beneficial for people with MVP because it supplies the body with the deficient minerals to combat the condition. Keep in mind it is essential that you consult your physician before taking any supplements.
As our next treatment option will show, physical fitness isn’t just for body goals…
9. Exercise Each Day
Exercising is vital in managing heart disease, especially in cases related to mitral valve prolapses. Doctors usually recommend some weekly aerobic exercises, as they help strengthen the heart. Such exercises include walking, jogging, swimming, and cycling.
Your physical body is not the only thing that needs your attention…
10. Take Care Of Your Mental Health
Mental health problems like depression and anxiety can take a toll on people with MVP. Severe mental health issues can cause chest pains, palpitations, and even heart attacks. Medication and therapy, for example, are effective ways to facilitate recovery.
Worst case scenario, our last treatment option might call for desperate measures…
11. Surgery
In cases of symptomatic chronic severe primary mitral regurgitation, mitral valve surgery is an ideal option. This minimally invasive procedure is performed to either repair or replace the mitral valves entirely. If surgery is required, your doctor will explain in more detail how it can help your MVP for a better and healthier future.
