Contents:
- Medical Video: Adult Congenital Heart Disease: Bicuspid Aortic Valve
- Aortic stenosis is a narrowing of the heart aortic valve
- What are the symptoms of aortic stenosis?
- 1. Chest pain (angina)
- 2. Fainting
- 3. Shortness of breath
- Not everyone experiences these symptoms
- Then, how to treat it?
Medical Video: Adult Congenital Heart Disease: Bicuspid Aortic Valve
The human heart consists of four rooms, each of which is blocked by a valve or door to hold the blood flow to be pumped so as not to return to the previous room. But unfortunately, the heart valve can experience interference. Aortic stenosis is a common type of heart valve disorder. Aortic stenosis will cause blood flow from the heart to be not smooth. Is this condition dangerous? What are the symptoms?
Aortic stenosis is a narrowing of the heart aortic valve
The heart has four valves that invade each heart chamber. One of the valves is called the aortic valve. The heart valve is between the left ventricle and the large aortic vessels (see picture above). The aortic valve will close when the heart chambers begin to fill with blood and open when the heart chambers are ready to pump blood throughout the body.
Aortic stenosis is a condition that occurs when the aortic valve narrows and is difficult to open, causing fresh blood from the heart to not flow out. So, the heart must work harder so that it can pump blood optimally throughout the body.
What are the symptoms of aortic stenosis?
Narrowing of the aortic valve will show symptoms with varying severity, ranging from mild to severe.
When the narrowing is severe enough, the symptoms that arise from aortic stenosis are:
1. Chest pain (angina)
Chest pain angina symptoms of aortic stenosis are caused by thickening of the heart muscle due to the continuous pumping of blood as strong as possible so that it can flow through a narrow valve. To be able to pump blood, the heart needs far more oxygen intake. As a result, chest pain arises because the heart muscle lacks oxygen.
2. Fainting
Someone who has aortic stenosis is prone to fainting when exhausted after heavy activity. This is caused by the volume of blood that always remains less when passing through the valve so that blood pressure tends to decrease.
Fainting may also occur when the body is resting, because the narrowing of the aorta and decreased blood flow will cause a heart rhythm disturbance (atrial fibrillation).
3. Shortness of breath
Because the aortic valve is difficult to open wide, the heart will work harder to drain blood through the "narrow tunnel". This contributes to heavy pressure on the blood vessels of the lungs to be able to provide enough oxygen to be used by the heart. In the end, excessive stress in the lungs results in shortness of breath because other parts of the body become deprived of oxygen.
Not everyone experiences these symptoms
Not all people with aortic stenosis will experience the same symptoms. Some sufferers may not experience any symptoms for a long time.
Some other symptoms that may occur when the heart aortic valve is narrowed include abnormal heartbeats, frequent dizziness, and heart palpitations (heart beats; pounding).
Then, how to treat it?
Treatment of aortic stenosis will be adjusted based on the severity of the condition. If the disease is accompanied by high blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat, doctors will usually prescribe blood pressure-lowering drugs for you to drink regularly.
Healthier lifestyle changes to maintain heart health can also help slow the progression of the disease, although it does not directly improve valve narrowing.
When prescription medications and lifestyle changes are not enough, doctors can recommend a transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedure. This is the most common method of improving aortic stenosis. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement is usually performed for patients with aortic stenosis who have experienced complications.
Another option is a balloon valvuloplasty procedure, which is specifically intended for infants and children. The drawback, heart valves can still narrow within 6-18 months after surgery. That's why balloon valvuloplasty is more often chosen as a short-term measure to relieve temporary symptoms.
