The phrase “mitral fibrillation” is a misnomer as the mitral valve doesn’t control heart rhythm. Mitral conditions include mitral valve prolapse, mitral regurgitation, and mitral stenosis, which can lead to unsynchronized heart rhythm or fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation can cause stroke or heart failure, while ventricular fibrillation can result in cardiac arrest.
The word “mitral” is related to a major component of the heart, and the word “fibrillation” refers to an out-of-sync heart rhythm. Both words deal with the heart as a subject, but the phrase “mitral fibrillation” is a misnomer, because the mitral valve doesn’t make the heart beat in rhythm. Irregular mitral conditions can include mitral valve prolapse, leading to mitral regurgitation and mitral stenosis. Fibrillation, on the other hand, can be divided into two types of disturbances: atrial or ventricular. The phrase “mitral fibrillation” is sometimes used incorrectly to refer to atrial fibrillation.
The mitral valve of the heart is also known as the left atrioventricular valve. It sits between the left atrium and left ventricle of the heart and helps control blood flow to the heart. When it’s working properly, pressure from the left atrium opens the mitral valve, which fills with blood. Blood is then able to flow into the left ventricle, after which the mitral valve closes to prevent blood from flowing backwards.
In mitral valve prolapse, the valve doesn’t close properly after the left atrium of the heart fills with blood and empties into the left ventricle. This can cause blood to leak backwards from the left ventricle into the left atrium. This backward leak is known as mitral regurgitation, a condition that isn’t necessarily life-threatening and some patients don’t even notice the symptoms. However, fibrillation can result from mitral valve prolapse.
Mitral stenosis is a heart condition that causes the mitral valve to narrow. This reduces blood flow within the left atrium and ventricle of the heart. To compensate for the lack of blood, the atrium increases in size and pressure, resulting in an unsynchronized heart rhythm or fibrillation.
In atrial fibrillation, the heart ventricles contract faster than normal. This means that the ventricles do not have enough time to completely fill with blood. This reduces the blood supply to the lungs and other parts of the body. Atrial fibrillation can lead to stroke or heart failure.
Ventricular fibrillation is a more serious condition than atrial fibrillation. In ventricular fibrillation, the lower chambers of the heart shake in an out-of-sync rhythm. During this type of fibrillation, little or no blood is pumped through the heart, resulting in cardiac arrest, requiring immediate medical attention.
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