Shop Plans
Health
Find a Health Plan
We offer a complete choice of plans to meet your coverage needs and fit your budget.
More Plans
Travel
Cancer
VIP
Dental
Get a Dental Plan
We offer three Traditional plans and three Certified plans to meet your needs.
Medicare
Pick a Medicare Plan
Thinking about your Medicare options? Find out which plan is right for you.
Find Doctor or Drug
Find a Doctor
Find a Doctor or Drug
Pick a directory to search or find other helpful information about drug resources, quality programs and more.
Directories
Louisiana Provider Directory
Quality Blue Directory
National Provider Directory
BlueDental Advantage Plus Directory
Davis Vision Directory
Hospital Based Physicians
ER/OR Information
Are you planning a hospital stay? If you just found out that you need surgery, or if you will be admitted to a hospital or ambulatory surgical center for any reason, you will most likely receive some care during your stay from a hospital-based physician. Learn more.
Other Directories
Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core
Federal Employee Program (FEP)
Rx Drug Resources
Manage your medicine, find drug lists and learn how to save money.
Quality Programs
Quality Blue Programs
We work with doctors, hospitals and clinics around Louisiana to make sure you have a better healthcare experience.
Save Money
$25 Gym Memberships
Find a Gym
For just $25 a month and a $25 enrollment fee, you'll have access to 9,000 participating fitness locations around the state and nation.
More Money-Saving Tips
Find Discounts
Lower Drug Costs
Preventive Care Services
Primary Care Doctor
Pick a Primary Care Doctor
Picking a primary care doctor is an important step to staying healthy and saving money.
Choose the Right Care
Where you and go and who you see for treatment is a big part of getting quality healthcare while saving money.
Wellness
Discounts
Get discounts on gym memberships, fitness gear, healthy eating, prescriptions and more.
More Wellness Tips
Tools
Member Programs
Find a Program
Whether you want to quit smoking or find the right doctor, we have many programs to help.
Wellness Library
Learn About Wellness
Read articles, take quizzes, watch videos and listen to podcasts about many health topics.
Learn
Insurance 101
Learn the Basics
Understand your plan, learn about health savings accounts, and watch helpful videos.
Social
Find Us on Social Media
Join the conversation and stay connected with us for exclusive content.
Straight Talk
Get Straight Answers
If you're looking for a straight answer to your healthcare questions, this is the place.
My Account
My Account Information
Claims
Benefits
Costs
Statements
Pharmacy
Manage Account
Manage Your Account
Pay your bill, view your statements or update your email or password.
Forms
Other Coverage Questionnaire
Authorized Delegate
Health Assessment
The heart has 4 chambers, 2 upper chambers (atria) and 2 lower chambers (ventricles). Blood passes through a valve before leaving each chamber of the heart. The valves prevent the backward flow of blood. Valves are actually flaps (leaflets) that act as one-way inlets for blood coming into a ventricle and one-way outlets for blood leaving a ventricle. Normal valves have 3 flaps (leaflets), except the mitral valve. It only has 2 flaps. The 4 heart valves are:
Tricuspid valve. This valve is located between the right atrium and the right ventricle.
Pulmonary valve. The pulmonary valve is located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery.
Mitral valve. This valve is located between the left atrium and the left ventricle. It has only 2 leaflets.
Aortic valve. The aortic valve is located between the left ventricle and the aorta.
As the heart muscle contracts and relaxes, the valves open and shut. This lets blood flow into the ventricles and atria at alternate times. Here is a step-by-step description of how the valves work normally in the left ventricle:
When the left ventricle relaxes, the aortic valve closes and the mitral valve opens. This lets blood flow from the left atrium into the left ventricle.
The left atrium contracts. This lets even more blood to flow into the left ventricle.
When the left ventricle contracts, the mitral valve closes and the aortic valve opens. This is so blood flows into the aorta and out to the rest of the body.
While the left ventricle is relaxing, the right ventricle also relaxes. This causes the pulmonary valve to close and the tricuspid valve to open. This lets blood flow into the right ventricle that was returned to the right atrium from the body.
When the left ventricle contracts, the right ventricle also contracts. This causes the pulmonary valve to open and the tricuspid valve to close. Blood flows out from the right ventricle to the lungs before it is returned to the left atrium as fresh, oxygenated blood.
Heart valves can have several problems. These include:
Regurgitation is a leaky valve. This means the valve doesn't fully close and the blood flows backward through the valve. This results in leakage of blood back into the atria from the ventricles in the case of the mitral and tricuspid valves. Or it leaks back into the ventricles in the case of the aortic and pulmonary valves. This can cause the chambers to be overworked because they have repump the extra blood that was returned. Over time, this can cause structural and functional changes in the heart chambers. These changes prevent the chambers from pumping blood normally.
Stenosis is a narrowed valve. With stenosis, the valve opening is narrowed and the valve doesn't open correctly. This makes it harder for the heart to pump blood across the narrowed valve. The heart must use more force to pump blood through the stiff (stenotic) valve or valves. This can also cause structural and functional changes to the different chambers of the heart. These changes prevent the heart from pumping blood normally.
Atresia. This means the valve opening doesn't develop normally during childhood. This prevents blood from passing from an atria to a ventricle, or from a ventricle to the pulmonary artery or aorta. Blood must find another route. This is usually through a problem present at birth (congenital). This might be an atrial septal defect or a ventricular septal defect. This acts as another route for the blood to move through the heart
When heart valves fail to open and close correctly, the damage to the heart can be serious. The harm can affect the heart's ability to pump blood through the body.