Valvular Heart Disease
by Jimmy Le & Stephanie Nguyen
What is Valvular Heart Disease?
This disease is characterized by damage or defects within the heart valves(mitral or bicuspid, aortic, tricuspid, pumonary).
What are Symptoms?
- Unusual tiredness or fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Swelling in the ankles, feet, abdomen or veins in neck
- Chest pains
- Fluttering, racing or irregular heart beat
- Dizziness and fainting
How does it affect you?
Valves normally function to make sure blood flows correctly in one direction, through the heart ensuring oxygen reaches the blood. When this heart disease occurs the valves become too thin and hard(stenotic) to either fully open or fully close(incompetent).
Treatment options?
Currently, no medicines can cure heart valve disease. However, lifestyle changes and medicines often can treat symptoms successfully and delay problems for many years. It can be delayed with different forms of surgery.
SmallcogHealth Valvular Heart Disease Video
What is Valvular Heart Disease
How to prevent valvular heart disease
Life style changes can reduce the risk of getting the heart disease and reduce the effects of the disease if already affected. Older age are more at risk to getting this disease. As you age, your heart valves thicken and become stiffer.
Diagonsis
A cardiologist is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating heart problems.
To diagnose heart valve disease, your doctor will ask about your signs and symptoms. He or she also will do a physical exam and look at the results from tests and procedures.Prognosis
The disease is a progressive. As time goes on the valves tighten up causing more issues. Within 3 to 5 years the person would have died.
Student Research Team
Research done by:
Jimmy Le & Stephanie Nguyen
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