Description

In the heart valves, one or more of the heart valves don't work properly. There are four valves in the heart. To maintain the flow of blood through the heart in the correct direction. Sometimes the valve does not open or close all the way. This can change the way blood flows through the heart to the rest of the body.

Heart valve disease treatment depends on the heart valve affected and the type and severity of the disease. Sometimes surgery is needed to repair or replace the mitral valve of the heart.

Symptoms

Some people with heart valve disease may not have symptoms for many years. When symptoms do occur, they may include:

  • Shortness of breath at rest or when active or lying down.
  • Fatigue.
  • Pain in the chest.
  • The dizziness.
  • Swelling of the ankles and feet.
  • Fainting.
  • Irregular beating of the heart.

When to see a doctor

If you have symptoms of a possible heart valve disease, make an appointment for a health checkup. You may be referred to a doctor trained in diseases of the heart, called a cardiologist.

Causes

To understand the causes of heart valve disease, may be useful to know how the heart works.

Four valves in the heart keep blood flowing in the right direction. These valves are:

  • The aortic valve.
  • Of the Mitral valve.
  • The pulmonary valve.
  • Tricuspid valve.

Each valve has flaps called leaflets or cusps. The flaps open and close once during each heartbeat. If a valve flap does not open or close properly, unless it moves the blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

Types of heart valve disease include:

  • The stenosis. The valve flaps become thick and hard and, at times, can join. The opening of the valve will close. Less blood can flow through the narrowed valve.
  • The regurgitation. The valve flaps may not close tightly, causing blood to leak backwards.
  • Prolapse. The valve flaps are stretched and floppy. Stand back like a parachute. This condition can lead to regurgitation.
  • The Atresia. The valve is not formed. A solid sheet of tissue that blocks the flow of blood between the chambers of the heart. This type usually affects the pulmonary valve.

Some people are born with heart valve disease. This is called congenital heart valve disease. But adults can get heart valve disease too. Causes of heart valve disease in adults can include infections, age-related changes, and other heart conditions.

Risk factors

There are several factors that can increase the risk of heart valve disease, including:

  • Advanced age.
  • Some infections, such as rheumatic fever or infections of the blood.
  • A heart attack or certain types of heart disease.
  • High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and other risk factors for heart disease.

Complications

Heart valve disease can cause many complications, including:

  • Heart failure
  • Stroke
  • Blood clots
  • Heart rhythm abnormalities
  • Death

Diagnosis

To diagnose heart valve disease, a health professional will examine you and ask questions about your symptoms and medical history. A whooshing sound called a heart murmur can be heard when listening to your heart with a device called a stethoscope.

Blood and imaging tests may be done to check the health of your heart.

Tests

Tests to diagnose heart valve disease may include:

  • The echocardiogram. This test uses sound waves to create images of the beating heart. Shows how blood flows through the heart and the health of the heart valves. There are different types of echocardiograms. The type you have depends on the reason for the test and your health in general.
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). This quick test records the electrical signals in the heart. It is shown how the heart is beating. Sensors, called electrodes, are attached in the chest and sometimes the legs. Connect the cables from the sensors to a computer, which displays or prints the results.
  • X-ray of the chest. A chest x-ray shows the heart and lungs. The test can detect if the heart is larger than normal or if there is fluid around the lungs. The fluid could be due to some types of heart valve disease.
  • CardiacMRI. A cardiac mri uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed pictures of the heart. You can help to determine the severity of heart valve disease.
  • Exercise tests or stress tests. These tests often involve walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike while the heart is on. Exercise tests show how the heart responds to physical activity, and if the valve symptoms of the disease occur during the exercise. If you are unable to do exercise, you could get drugs that mimic the effect of exercise on the heart.
  • The cardiac catheterization. This test is not often used to diagnose heart valve disease. But it can be done if other tests can't diagnose a heart valve problem. Or it could be used to tell how severe heart valve disease is. A long, thin, flexible tube called a catheter is inserted into a blood vessel, usually in the groin or wrist. Is guided into the heart. Contrast dye flows through the catheter into the arteries in the heart. The dye helps the arteries to show up more clearly on X-ray images and video.

Heart valve disease stages

After the test confirms the diagnosis of heart valve disease, your health care team can tell you that the stage of the disease. Staging helps to determine the most appropriate treatment.

The stage of heart valve disease depends on many things, including symptoms, severity of the disease, the structure of the valve or valves and the flow of blood through the heart and lungs.

Heart valve disease is staged in four basic groups:

  • Stage A: At risk. Risk factors for heart valve disease are present.
  • Stage B: Progressive. Valve disease is mild or moderate. No valve of the heart of the symptoms.
  • C-stage: Asymptomatic severe. There is no heart valve symptoms, but the disease of the valve is severe.
  • Stage D: Symptomatic severe. Heart valve disease is severe and is causing the symptoms.

Treatment

Heart valve disease treatment depends on:

  • Symptoms.
  • The severity of the disease.
  • If the heart valve problem is getting worse.

Treatment may include:

  • Regular medical checkups.
  • The lifestyle and diet changes.
  • Drugs.
  • Surgery to repair or replace the valve.

Drugs

Some people with heart valve disease need drugs to treat your symptoms. The anticoagulant can be administered to help prevent blood clots.

Surgery or other procedures

A diseased or damaged heart valve may eventually need to be repaired or replaced, even if you have no symptoms.

If you need surgery for another disease of the heart, a surgeon may make the valve repair or replacement in the same time.

Methods to repair or replace heart valves, which include open-heart surgery or minimally invasive heart surgery. Surgeons in some medical centers can make robot-assisted heart valve surgery. The type of heart valve surgery done depends on many factors, including the age, general state of health, and the type and severity of heart valve disease.

Heart valve repair

If you have heart valve disease, your health care team may suggest surgery to repair and save your heart valve. During heart valve repair, the surgeon can:

  • Patch holes in a valve.
  • Separate valve flaps that have been connected.
  • The repair of the structure of the valve by replacing torn or broken cables that support it.
  • Remove the excess tissue of the valve so that the valve can be closed tightly.
  • Reduce the exterior footprint of the valve to the flaps of better contact with each other.

Heart valve repair procedures include:

  • Annuloplasty. A surgeon tense or reinforces the outer ring around the valve. This surgery can be done with other treatments for the repair of a heart valve.
  • The valvuloplasty. This surgery is used for the repair of the leaflets of the valve. On many occasions is done to repair the prolapse of the mitral valve. The surgeon inserts a flexible tube with a balloon on the tip into an artery in the arm or groin. The surgeon guide the tube to the valve of the heart. The balloon is inflated. This widens the opening of the valve. The balloon is deflated and the tube and the ball is removed. Sometimes the clips or plugs is passed through the tube to the repair of the valve of the heart.

Heart valve replacement

If a heart valve cannot be repaired, you may perform a surgery to replace. The most commonly replaced valves in the mitral and aortic valves. A surgeon removes the damaged heart valve and replaces it with one of the following:

  • A mechanical valve. This type of artificial heart valve is made of a strong material. It is also called a factory of the valve. If you have a mechanical valve, you need blood thinners for life, to prevent the formation of blood clots.
  • A biological valve. This type of artificial heart valve is made from cow, pig or human heart tissue. Biological tissue valves will break down over time and eventually need to be replaced.

Sometimes, the aortic valve is replaced with the person's own pulmonary valve. Then, the pulmonary valve is replaced with a biological valve. This more complicated the surgery is called the Ross procedure.

The replacement of the valve usually requires open-heart surgery. But the less invasive procedures may be available, depending on the valve of the heart is affected. For example, if the aortic valve is reduced, the surgeons can do transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Uses smaller incisions than those used in open-heart surgery.

Lifestyle and home remedies

If you have heart valve disease, your health care team can suggest making lifestyle changes. Try these steps:

  • Eating a heart-healthy diet. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, low-fat or non-fat dairy products, poultry, fish and whole grains. Avoid saturated and trans fats and excess salt and sugar.
  • Get regular exercise. As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. Talk with your health care team before starting a new exercise routine.
  • Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight increases your risk of heart problems. Talk with your health care team to set realistic goals for weight.
  • Do not use tobacco. If you smoke or chew tobacco, quit smoking. Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease. Quitting smoking is the best way of reducing the risk. If you need help to stop smoking, talk with a health care professional.
  • Practice good sleep habits. Lack of sleep can increase the risk of heart disease. Adults should aim to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep daily. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends. If you have trouble sleeping, talk with your health care team about strategies that might help.
  • Control of blood pressure. Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases the risk of serious health problems. Get your blood pressure checked at least every two years if you are under 18 years of age and older. If you have risk factors for heart disease, and has more than 40 years of age, you may need more frequent checks.
  • Get a cholesterol test. To obtain a baseline cholesterol test when you're in your 20s, and then at least every 4 to 6 years. Some people may need to start testing earlier or have more frequent checks.
  • Control diabetes. If you have diabetes, tight blood sugar control can help to keep your heart healthy.

Pregnancy

Careful and regular check-ups are necessary for those who have heart valve disease during pregnancy. If you have a severe heart valve condition, you might be told not to get pregnant to reduce the risk of complications.

Coping and support

If you have heart valve disease, here are some ways to help you manage your condition and thrive:

  • Get support. Connect with friends and family, or a support group is a great way to reduce stress. You may find that talking about your concerns with other people in similar situations can help.
  • Manage stress. Find ways to help reduce emotional stress. Do more exercise, the practice of mindfulness, and connecting with others in support groups are some of the ways to reduce and manage stress. If you have anxiety or depression, talk with your health care team about the strategies to help.

Preparing for your appointment

If you think you might have symptoms of heart valve disease, make an appointment for a health checkup. Here's some information to help you prepare for your appointment.

What you can do

  • Be aware of pre-appointment restrictions. When you make the appointment, ask if there is something that you need to do beforehand. For example, you may be asked not to eat or drink for a short period of time before a cholesterol test.
  • Write down your symptoms, including any that seem unrelated to the disease of the heart valve.
  • Write important personal information, including a family history of heart valve disease, and any major stresses or recent life changes.
  • Make a list of all the medicines, vitamins, and supplements you are taking. To include in the dose.
  • Bring someone along, if possible. Someone who goes with you can help you remember the information they give you.
  • Write questions to ask their health care team.

For heart valve disease, some basic questions to ask your care team include:

  • What is the likely cause of my symptoms or condition?
  • What are other possible causes for my symptoms or condition?
  • What tests do I need?
  • What is the best treatment?
  • What are the options for the main treatment you are suggesting?
  • I have other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
  • Is there any sports activity or dietary restrictions I need to follow?
  • You should see a specialist?
  • If I need heart valve surgery, the surgeon would I recommend?
  • Are there brochures or other printed material that I can take with me? What sites do you recommend?

Do not hesitate to ask other questions.

What to expect from your doctor

Your health care team is likely to ask many questions, including:

  • When did your symptoms begin?
  • Do you always have symptoms, or the symptoms come and go?
  • How severe are the symptoms?
  • What, in any case, it makes your symptoms better?
  • What, in any case, it makes your symptoms worse?
Symptoms and treatment of Heart valve disease