What Are the Warning Signs of Mitral Heart Valve Damage?

Heart valvular disease occurs when one or more of the valves in the heart, often the mitral valve, are unable to properly control blood flow. The warning signs of mitral heart valve damage are similar to that of many forms of heart disease.

Significance

• The mitral, aortic, tricuspid and pulmonary are the four primary heart valves with the mitral and aortic being the most regularly affected by valvular disease. "The mitral valve regulates the flow of blood from the upper-left chamber (the left atrium) to the lower-left chamber (the left ventricle)," says The Texas Heart Institute.

Identification

• Mitral stenosis occurs when valves fail to open completely, while mitral regurgitation is a result of valves being unable to close properly.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of valvular disease may present themselves quickly, dependent on the rate of disease development. Sometimes the disease progresses slowly, allowing the heart to adjust with no onset of distress. "The severity of the symptoms does not necessarily correlate to the severity of the valve disease," according to the John Hopkins Heart and Vascular Institute. "You could have no symptoms at all, but have severe valve disease."

Warning Signs

• Warning signs include shortness of breath, edema (swelling of feet, ankles, legs, arms or abdomen), fatigue, dizziness, fainting, excessive weight gain, heart palpitations or chest pain.

Prognosis

• Mitral valve repair boasts a lower instance of surgery-related mortality and better long-term prognosis than mitral valve replacement, suggesting repair to be a better option for mitral valve disease