The heart is made up of 4 interconnected chambers that pumps both oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood. Two of the heart’s chambers are responsible for transporting oxygen rich blood throughout the entire body via the aorta. The other two chambers are responsible for pumping oxygen poor blood to the lungs in order to pick up oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide. All four chambers of the heart have heart valves that open and close in rhythm with the beats of the heart to move blood easily through the heart. These heart valves include the mitral valve, aortic valve, pulmonic valve, and the tricuspid valve. All four heart valves can be abnormal from congenital heart disease (meaning present since birth) or from acquired disease (meaning acquired through life).
The symptoms of heart valve abnormalities are dependent on age. Congenital heart disease can lead to poor weight gain in infants, fast breathing, fast heart rate, sweating with feeds, and poor oxygen saturation. Congenital heart diseases are often found in infancy.
Symptoms of valvular disease in adults may be more difficult to recognize. Symptoms typically occur very slowly and over time as the valve becomes more and more diseased. The most common first noticeable symptom is shortness of breath with minor exercise. Chest pain, dizziness and swelling in the legs may be another symptom that can be attributed to valvular disease.
There are three main types of heart valve abnormalities. These include regurgitation, stenosis and atresia.
The treatment of valvular diseases whether they are congenital or acquired is surgery. To prevent heart failure and blood pressure issues, patients must have surgery to fix or replace their diseased valve. Medications may also be used to combat heart failure and blood pressure issues.
Heart valve abnormalities are very common. They can affect patients of all ages, and lead to a variety of symptoms based on the valve that is affected and the age of the patient. They can be treated though once diagnosed properly with imaging.