Heart Valve Disease

Heart valve disease is caused when one or more of the four heart valves– known as the mitral, tricuspid, pulmonary, and aortic valves– fail to open or close properly, disrupting the blood flow to your heart. Each valve has flaps or leaflets that are supposed to open and close once per heartbeat, and if this pattern gets disturbed, it can create many side effects.

Congenital Valve Disease

This form of valve disease is present from birth and typically affects the aortic or pulmonic valves. Valves may have been formed with the wrong size, have malformed leaflets, or have leaflets that are attached incorrectly.

Bicuspid Aortic Valve Disease

This is a form of congenital valve disease that affects the aortic valve, causing it to have only two leaflets instead of the regular amount, which is three. With the absence of the third leaflet, the bicuspid aortic valve may be stiff or leaky, causing it to either be unable to open or close properly, or not be able to close tightly.

Rheumatic Fever

This is caused by an untreated bacterial infection, most commonly strep throat. The infection usually occurs in children and causes inflammation of the heart valves, although symptoms linked to this inflammation are not typically seen until decades later. With proper treatment through antibiotics, this infection has become much less common.

Endocarditis

This occurs when bacteria enters the bloodstream and attacks the heart valves, resulting in growths, holes, and scarring which can lead to leaky valves. Bacteria that causes endocarditis can enter the bloodstream due to dental procedures, surgery, IV drug use, or severe infections.

Mitral Valve Prolapse

This condition affects 1 to 2% of the population and causes the leaflets of the mitral valve to flop back into the left atrium when your heart contracts. This condition also causes valve tissue to become abnormal and stretchy, leading to leakage.

Other Conditions

Valve disease can also be caused by other heart diseases such as coronary artery disease, heart attacks, and cardiomyopathy. Other causes include syphilis, high blood pressure, aortic aneurysms, connective tissue diseases, tumors, drugs, and radiation.

Your doctor can diagnose heart valve disease by conducting a physical exam, where they start by listening to your heart to determine if you are experiencing an enlarged heart, heart murmurs, or arrhythmias. Your doctor will also listen to your lungs to discover if you are retaining any fluid, which is a sign that the heart is not pumping efficiently.

After the physical exam, your doctor may conduct other tests as well, such as an echocardiogram or cardiac catheterization.

Treatment for heart valve disease depends on the type and severity of heart valve disease. The three goals of treatment are to prevent further damage, lessen symptoms, and repair or replace valves. This can be done with medications and surgeries that treat symptoms and decrease the chances of further damage.

Surgeries can be performed to cut away scar tissue and calcium deposits that disrupt the heart’s ability to pump blood, or leaflets may be reshaped. Your heart valves may also be replaced with mechanical valves, or an artificial body part that works the way the original valve was supposed to.

Heart valve disease can be present without showing symptoms for many years. When symptoms do occur, they include heart murmurs, chest pain, abdominal swelling, heart palpitations, fatigue, and feeling short of breath. Other symptoms can include swelling in your ankles and feet and rapid weight gain.

As heart valve disease can often lead to heart failure, you may experience symptoms of heart failure as well.