Treatment Options
A leaky heart valve may be defined as the medical condition wherein the flow of the blood is negatively affected by a valve which enables the blood to move in the backward direction, rather than moving in the upwards direction, as expected. In the medical world, this condition is also termed as regurgitation.
Regurgitation mainly has an impact on the flow of the blood in a negative manner, and the flow of blood is affected in all the four valves of the heart. These four valves are – tricuspid valve, pulmonary valve, aortic valve and mitral valve.
Over the passage of time, this leaking heart valve forces the heart to work much harder, and thus some extra amount of effort is required pump the blood back through a valve. These tires the heart quickly and also leads to the enlargement of the heart. Furthermore, if left unattended, it can also act as a trigger for other leaking heart valve symptoms.
Some of the most common symptoms of a leaking heart valve include fatigue, shortness of breath, heart palpitations and heart murmur, swollen ankles or feet, cough, chest pain, excessive urination, faint feeling and dizziness.
One important point to note here is that it is not always necessary for a patient suffering from this condition to exhibit the symptoms of a leaking heart valve. Most of the times the symptoms are so mild that they pass unnoticed. In some cases, these symptoms eve go undetected in case of a moderate or a severe leakage.
The best treatment option for you – This is one of the most important decisions that you have to take if you are suffering from this disease. There are a variety of options that you have, and although you may have your doctor to advise you on the number of treatments available, you should consider what treatment you would want to undergo. The treatments for this disease involve a number of factors, and you should study each one carefully before you finalize on one. Mentioned here are some factors that can influence your decision of the type of treatment:
- Your age
- Your current medical condition
- Consider any other medication that you are consuming
- Your present lifestyle and also your future goals
- Ask the doctor about the benefits and disadvantages of each type of treatment available.
If you are experiencing any of the above mentioned symptoms, it is advised that you immediately see your cardiologist. Most of the heart valve complications can easily be detected by listening to the sound of heart valves by a stethoscope. This is therefore one of the basic steps for diagnosing a heart disease.