Symptoms, Risks and Treatment Options for Heart Valve Problems

Any problem related to your ticker can seem overwhelming at first, but recovery statistics are very good for individuals who receive timely treatment. According to the American Heart Association, each year about 5 million Americans are diagnosed with heart valve disease which occurs when the valves do not work the way they should. At the exit of each of your four heart chambers lies the heart valves that maintain one-way blood flow through your ticker. The four valves ensure that blood always flows freely in a forward direction and that there is no backward leakage.

Types of Cardiac Valve Disease:

Valvular Stenosis which occurs when a valve doesn’t open fully due to stiff or fused leaflets and valvular insufficiency, also called regurgitation, incompetence, or "leaky valve," which occurs when a valve doesn’t close tightly.

Causes:

Cardiac valve disease can develop before birth or can be acquired sometime in one’s lifetime. Sometimes, the cause is unknown. Some causes of valve disease include coronary artery disease, heart attack, cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease), high blood pressure, aortic aneurysms, and connective tissue diseases.  Less common causes include tumors, some types of drugs and radiation.

Acquired Valve Disease- The disease includes problems that develop with valves that were once normal which mostly involves changes in the structure of the valve which can be due to several diseases or infections, such as rheumatic fever or endocarditis.

Congenital Valve Disease- The aortic or pulmonic valve gets affected.

Bicuspid Aortic Valve Disease- This congenital valve disease affects the aortic valve. The bicuspid aortic valve has only two leaflets or cusps instead of the normal three leaflets or cusps. The valve may be stiff or leaky without the third leaflet.

Heart Valve Disease Symptoms:

Symptoms can include

Shortness of Breath- You may experience shortness of breath when you are active or just lying down flat in bed.

Chest Discomfort- With activity (doing your normal daily activities) or when going out in cold air, you may feel a pressure or weight in your chest.

Palpitations- Palpitations are felt like a rapid heart rhythm, irregular heartbeat, skipped beats, or a flip-flop feeling in your chest.

Sudden Weight Gain- You may gain weight of one or three pounds in one day.

Dizziness- Dizziness can occur and passing out may be a symptom, in some cases. You may feel weakness in carrying out your normal routine activities.

Swelling- Swelling of your ankles, abdomen, or feet is called edema. Swelling in your belly may make you feel bloated.

Heart valve disease symptoms do not always relate to the seriousness of your condition as you may have no symptoms at all and have serious valve disease, necessitating prompt treatment.

Risks:

Valvular disease has become an increasing problem in the recent years although the population of people affected by valvular disease is considerably smaller than the number of people who’ve more common conditions like coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, etc.

Valvular disease is more common among older people as with age, our heart valves can become lined with calcium deposits that can cause the valve flaps to thicken and become stiffer. Today people are living longer in the face of increased attention on prevention and improved quality of medical care. Heart problems that increases the likelihood for developing valve problems include a heart attack, heart failure, arrhythmia, or previous heart valve conditions from birth (called congenital heart defects). People who have had rheumatic fever or a case of infective endocarditis are also at higher risk.

Treatment Options:

Some people go on living long and full lives with mild valvular problems without requiring surgery. But a heart valve is likely to require a repair or replacement once a valve starts to affect the ticker’s ability to pump blood. The available treatment options for a diseased heart valve include valve repair or replacement. A doctor may prescribe medications to treat your symptoms and to lessen the chance of further valve damage.

Hope, you find this information to be useful.

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