Valvular Heart Disease Causes, Symptoms, Types, Treatment

Valvular Heart Disease occurs when the valves in your heart, responsible for ensuring blood flow properly, don't function correctly. While medications can assist with blood flow issues, sometimes they're insufficient. Your doctor will determine if you require valve repair or replacement.

Valvular Heart Disease Overview

• The human heart has four valves: the mitral, tricuspid, aortic, and pulmonary.
• These valves ensure that blood flows in one direction through your heart.
• Oxygen-poor blood enters the right side of your heart and goes through the tricuspid and pulmonary valves to get oxygen from your lungs.
• The oxygen-rich blood returns to the left side of your heart and passes through the mitral and aortic valves to be pumped to the rest of your body.
• The valves have leaflets that open and close to control blood flow, with the mitral valve having two leaflets and the others having three.
• Papillary muscles help stabilize the valve leaflets to prevent backward blood flow.

Types of Valvular Heart Disease

Valvular Heart Disease Symptoms

• Breathing difficulties, particularly during exercise or when lying down.
• Irregular heartbeat sensations.
• Swelling in the ankles, feet, or abdomen.
• Weakness or dizziness.
• Rapid weight gain.
• Chest discomfort, especially during physical activity.
• Fatigue.
• If the valve problem is due to an infection, you might also have a fever, chills, or body pains.

Valvular Heart Disease Causes

• Untreated strep throat leading to rheumatic fever.
• Damage to the heart from a heart attack.
• Advanced high blood pressure.
• Birth defects affecting valve development.
• Degeneration or hardening of valve tissue over time.
• Enlargement of the aorta, stretching valve leaflets.
• Heart failure.
• Heart infections (endocarditis).

Valvular Heart Disease Diagnosis

• When using a stethoscope to listen to your heart, you may hear abnormal sounds like crackles, which could indicate fluid in your lungs, or murmurs, which may suggest an enlarged heart.
• Identifying a heart murmur indicates blood flow issues through a narrow or leaky valve.
• You are noting swelling in your ankles, a sign of possible heart valve problems.

Tests Done for Diagnosis of Valvular Heart Disease:

• Echocardiogram: Ultrasound for heart images.
• Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE): Clearer images via probe down the esophagus.
• Exercise stress echocardiogram: Assesses heart function during activity.
• Chest X-ray: Quick chest scan for abnormalities.
• Cardiac catheterization (angiogram): X-ray movies with contrast dye injection.
• Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG): Records heart's electrical activity.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Produces detailed heart images with radio waves and magnets.

Management and Treatment of Valvular Heart Disease

• Preventing further damage to the valve.
• Taking prescribed medications.
• Valvular Heart Disease may need surgery to fix or replace the valve. Surgeons decide during surgery if repair or replacement is best. Minimally invasive options are available depending on your condition.
• Regularly visit your cardiologist for check-ups.

Valvular Heart Disease Medications