Heart Valve Disease
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Your heart valves lie at the exit of each of your four heart chambers and maintain one-way blood flow through your heart. The four heart valves make sure that blood always flows freely in a forward direction and that there is no backward leakage.
- What Is Heart Valve Disease?
- What Causes Heart Valve Disease?
- Who Is At Risk for Heart Valve Disease?
- How Is Heart Valve Disease Diagnosed?
- How Is Heart Valve Disease Treated?
- How Can Heart Valve Disease Be Prevented?
- Key Points Heart valve disease
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Prevent heart valve disease
Not much can be done to prevent valve disease, but it is still important to live a heart-healthy lifestyle and control as many risk factors as you can. One step you can take is to make sure that you do not get rheumatic fever, which comes from a bacterial infection like strep throat. Throat infections should be diagnosed early, and you should finish all of the medicine that your doctor gives you to stop the infection from coming back.
If you have valve disease, you should always tell your dentist, because you may need to take antibiotic medicine before a dental procedure. Whenever you are giving a doctor your medical history, remember to tell him or her that you have valve disease. Like in dental procedures, you may need to take medicine before surgery or other procedures. If you have valve disease and do not take antibiotic medicine before a dental or surgical procedure, you may increase your risk of developing an infection in the inner lining of your heart. This infection is called infective endocarditis.
To prevent heart valve disease caused by rheumatic fever, see your doctor if you have signs of a strep infection. These signs include a red and painful sore throat, fever, and white spots on your tonsils.
If you've had previous heart valve disease and now have a man-made valve, you may be at higher risk for a heart infection called endocarditis. Floss and brush your teeth regularly. Gum infections and tooth decay can cause endocarditis.
It's possible that exercise, diet, and medicines that lower cholesterol also might prevent aortic stenosis. Researchers continue to study this possibility.
A heart healthy eating plan, physical activity, other lifestyle measures, or medicines aimed at preventing a heart attack, high blood pressure, or heart failure also might help prevent heart valve disease.
If you've had previous heart valve disease and now have a man-made valve, you may be at higher risk for a heart infection called endocarditis. Floss and brush your teeth regularly. Gum infections and tooth decay can cause endocarditis.
Let your doctors and dentists know if you have a man-made valve or if you've had endocarditis before. They may give you antibiotics before medical or dental procedures that could allow bacteria to enter your bloodstream. Talk to your doctor about whether you need to take antibiotics before such procedures.
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Living With Heart Valve Disease
Heart valve disease is a lifelong condition. However, many people with the condition don't have any symptoms until they're middle-aged or older. Over time, heart valve disease may worsen and can cause heart failure or other life-threatening conditions.
Eventually, you may need your faulty heart valve(s) repaired or replaced. After repair or replacement, you will still need certain medicines and regular checkups with your doctor.
Ongoing Health Care Needs
- See your doctor regularly for checkups and for echocardiography or other tests. This will allow your doctor to check the progress of your heart valve disease. Ask your doctor what physical activities are appropriate for you.
- Call your doctor if you develop symptoms of endocarditis. Symptoms of this heart infection include fever, chills, muscle aches, night sweats, difficulty breathing, fatigue, weakness, red spots on the palms and soles, and swelling of the feet, legs, and belly.
- Let your doctors and dentists know if you have a man-made valve or if you've had endocarditis before. They may give you antibiotics before medical or dental procedures that could allow bacteria to enter your bloodstream. Talk to your doctor about whether you need to take antibiotics before such procedures.
- Take all your prescribed medicines.
Pregnancy and Heart Valve Disease
Mild to moderate heart valve disease during pregnancy usually can be managed with medicines or bed rest without posing heightened risks to the mother or fetus.
Most heart valve conditions can be treated with medicines that are safe to take during pregnancy. Your doctor can advise you on which medicines are safe for you.
Severe heart valve disease can make pregnancy or labor and delivery riskier. If you have severe heart valve disease and/or its symptoms, consider having your heart valves repaired or replaced before getting pregnant. Such repair or replacement also can be done during pregnancy, if needed. But this surgery poses danger to both the mother and fetus.