Symptoms of Heart Valve Failure

According to the American Heart Association, over 5 million people are diagnosed with heart valve failure yearly. Surgeons perform an average of 100,000 heart valve surgeries a year due to symptoms of heart valve failure. You can be born with an abnormal heart valve or damage your heart valves by contracting infections such as infective endocarditis or rheumatic fever.

Significance

• Heart valves pump blood through the body by opening and closing each time your heart beats. Heart valves open their cusps or doors at the ideal time due to specific pressure changes on either side of the valve. The mitral or aortic valves are on the left side of the heart and work harder than their counterparts on the right side, the tricuspid and pulmonary valve.

Identification

• Symptoms of heart valve failure may include shortness of breath or difficulty catching your breath when lying down or while being active, pressure in your chest when you breathe cold air, weight or discomfort in your chest when you are active, heart palpitations or rapid heart rate, dizziness and a feeling of weakness.

Considerations

• Heart valve failure can lead to complete heart failure, which is identified by swelling or bloating in your abdomen, swelling of your feet or ankles and/or rapid weight gain. Elderly patients often develop changes in heart valve structure creating a defective heart valve that fails to fully open or close.

Treatment

• Mild heart valve disease is usually treated with medications. Severe heart valve disease requires surgical repair. Research the various types of treatment for heart valve failure using the American Heart Association website (see Resources below).

Warning

• You may have severe heart valve disease requiring immediate medical treatment and not have any visible symptoms. Do not ignore unusual sensations or pains in your chest that are not normal.