Valvular or heart valve disease occurs when one or more of the valves in your heart doesn’t function properly. The function of the four heart valves is to keep blood moving through the heart. When one doesn’t work properly, it will disrupt the flow of the blood in your heart.
Symptoms of Heart Valve Disease
There are people who have had symptoms for years and have not noticed them. Symptoms include; Whooshing sound, Heart murmur, chest pain, abdominal swelling, fatigue or tiredness, shortness of breath, swelling of your ankles and feet, dizziness, fainting irregular heartbeat. If you have these symptoms, see your doctor. Your doctor might suggest that you see a heart specialist if you have a diastolic or systolic murmur.
A person can suffer from congenital heart valve disease, which is present at birth. Adults may get this due to many causes and conditions, such as infections, high blood pressure, or other heart conditions. Diabetes and high cholesterol are also causes. It can present as Stenosis — the stiffening or thickening of the valve or Regurgitation which is a leaky valve that doesn’t close completely.
If you are suffering from any of these conditions and are concerned, visit a doctor or a Cardio Vascular Disease Clinic to be checked.
Complications due to Heart Valve Disease
There are several complications that can occur if the condition is left untreated. These include heart failure, stroke, blood clots, heart rhythm abnormalities and death. Approximately 75% of people who experience systems but do not get treatment die within 3 years. Long-term survival for patients who have had surgical valve replacement is excellent and up to 8 years.