Heart valve disease
Overview
Heart valve disease is where 1 or more of the valves in your heart does not work as it should. It does not always need treatment, but some people will need medicines or surgery.
Symptoms
Symptoms of heart valve disease can include: shortness of breathfeeling tired or weakfeeling dizzyheart palpitations, where you suddenly feel your heart beating irregularly or faster than usualswollen ankles and feetchest painor discomfort Some people do not have any symptoms. Sometimes it's found by chance if a doctor hears an unusual sound (a heart murmur) when they listen to your chest.
Causes
Heart valve disease can be caused by: congenital heart disease, where you're born with the conditionchanges to your heart as you get older, particularly if you smoke or havehigh blood pressureorhigh cholesterolconditions that affect your heart, such asrheumatic fever,cardiomyopathyorendocarditisdamage from aheart attack
Treatment
If you have mild heart valve disease and you do not have any symptoms, you may not need treatment. You'll usually have regular check-ups to see if your condition is getting worse. If you have symptoms or have severe heart valve disease, you may need medicines to: lower your blood pressure and help protect your heart (ACE inhibitors)reduce build-up of fluid in your body and lungs (diuretics)slow down your heart rate (such asbeta blockers)reduce the risk of blood clots (anticoagulants) If you have severe heart valve disease you'll usually need surgery to either: repair the heart valve, if it's not seriously damagedreplace the heart valve with an artificial valve or one made from human or animal tissue, if it cannot be repaired