Heart valves can have two main things wrong with them. Regurgitation is when the valve does not close completely. This causes the blood to flow backward instead of forward through the valve. Another major problem is stenosis, when the valve opening becomes narrowed or does not form properly, inhibiting the ability of the heart to pump blood to the body. Heart valves can have both malfunctions at the same time. When heart valves fail to open and close properly the heart can't pump blood to the body.
In many cases, there is nothing you can do to prevent heart valve disease. It is often caus…
