More Information About Heart Valve Disease
Image Source: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Signs of Heart Valve Disease
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Passing out without warning or with exertion
- Weakness or dizziness
- Fatigue
- Palpitations
- Swelling in feet, ankles or abdomen
Types of Heart Valve Disease
- Aortic regurgitation
- Aortic stenosis
- Bicuspid aortic valve
- Congenital valve disease
- Mitral regurgitation
- Mitral stenosis
- Mitral valve prolapse
- Pulmonic regurgitation
- Pulmonic stenosis
- Tricuspid regurgitation
- Tricuspid stenosis
Source: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Major Risk Factors for Acquiring Heart Valve Disease
- Age
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Smoking
- Diabetes and insulin resistance
- Overweight or obesity, lack of physical activity
- A family history of congenital heart valve disease
- Infection of the valve called infective endocarditis which is common with intravenous drug abuse
Source: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Advanced Heart Valve Disease can cause the following:
- Heart failure
- Arrhythmias
- Stroke
- Blood clots
- Chest pain
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath at rest or with exertion
- Difficulty laying flat at night
- Waking up in the middle of the night with air hunger
- Night time cough
- Leg swelling or swelling of your abdomen
- Passing out with exertion or without warning
- Persistent infection of the blood that will not resolve or sudden death due to sudden cardiac arrest