A Basic What, Where, And What-To-Do About Valve Issues
What happens with heart valve disease?
The heart has four valves. Each valve has a tissue flap that opens and closes with each heartbeat to keep blood flowing properly through your heart’s four chambers and to the rest of the body.
If one or more of the valves doesn’t open fully or lets blood leak back into the heart chambers due to disease, the heart has to work harder and insufficient blood may flow through the body.
What are the different types of valve disease?
There are three basic categories.
Regurgitation, or backflow, of blood into the chambers occurs when a valve doesn’t close tightly.
Atresia is when a blood valve lacks an opening for blood to flow through.
Stenosis, the most common type, occurs when the flaps of a valve thicken, stiffen or fuse together so that the heart valve doesn’t fully open, and too little blood flows through the valve.
What causes it?
Heart valve disease can be present at birth (congenital) or develop as a result of cardiac-related conditions such as heart failure, atherosclerosis (buildup of waxy plaque inside the arteries), and damage from a heart attack. Less frequently, an infection or rheumatic fever can lead to heart valve disease.
Risk factors include aging, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, overweight, lack of physical activity, and a family history of early heart disease.
What are the symptoms?
During a physical exam, your doctor may hear an unusual heartbeat sound called a heart murmur, which may be a sign to investigate further. Other signs include unusual tiredness, shortness of breath, and swelling of the ankles, feet, legs, abdomen, and veins in the neck.
How is heart valve disease treated?
Heart valve disease can be treated with medicines, such as blood thinners and drugs to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Lifestyle changes, such as maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, managing stress, and becoming more physically active, are also recommended.
For more serious conditions, heart valves can be repaired or replaced surgically. In recent years, less invasive procedures have been developed that allow smaller incisions, lower risk of infection, and faster recovery time.
For one type of valve disease, aortic stenosis, an innovative treatment known as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become more widely available. In this procedure, an alternative to traditional open-heart surgery, an artificial valve is threaded through a blood vessel to the heart on the tip of a catheter. When placed, the new valve begins to work immediately. Patients can expect to go home the following day.
Don’t hesitate to seek health care. We’ve taken every precaution to keep patients, staff, and visitors safe. You can learn more and find a cardiac specialist at RWJUH Rahway here.