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How Will I Know if I Have Heart Valve Disease?A medical history and physical examination are always done first. Usually a heart murmur can be heard by the physician. The murmur is caused by the turbulence of blood flowing past a damaged valve. Blood tests, electrocardiogram (EKG) and a chest x-ray are also done. An echocardiogram will be done to look at the heart through painless sound waves. Finally, a cardiac catheterization is usually needed to check the pressure in the heart chambers and to look at the way blood is flowing past the valve. A small tube or catheter is moved through an arm or leg artery to the heart. An x-ray dye is used to outline the heart chambers and flow of blood across the valve. |
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What Symptoms Could I Have?If you have heart valve disease you may experience one or more of the following: Problems breathing lying down Wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath when you exert yourself Waking up at night coughing or short of breath Weakness of tiredness Dizzy spells, fainting spells Swollen ankles or feet A fast pounding heartbeat or fluttering feeling in the chest (palpitations) Chest pain or pressure (angina) when the aortic valve becomes stenotic |
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How are Heart Valve Problems Treated?ReassuranceWhen a valve is only minimally damaged, no treatment is necessary Diet Medicines Balloon Treatment (Valvuloplasty) Surgery |
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