Risks and Symptoms of a Faulty Heart Valve

Nothing will bring awareness to a disease or medical condition like a celebrity being stricken with the ailment. This is no different with Barbara Walters and the news that she had a faulty heart valve. This got a lot of people to wonder what, exactly, this problem is and how to tell if you have it. While this problem is not very common, it can be deadly and it can be found in about one of eight people over 50. While this does sound like a very deadly problem, it can be fixed and there are some lower risk surgeries being developed. Here is a look at what this problem is, some of the symptoms to watch for, and how to treat this problem.

Before you can truly diagnose or treat a problem, you need to know what the problem is and how it will affect you. A faulty heart valve, or heart valve disease, is when one of the four heart valves is not working properly. This can be the result of several different problems, but all of them are fairly rare. In fact, of all American's in 2007, only 18,000 of these procedures were performed. The simple definition of a faulty valve is one that leaks or does not allow enough blood to pass through. When a valve is "leaky" or does not close completely, this is referred to as incompetence. This can cause some other major health issues. Stenosis is when the valve is too narrow or stiff and not enough blood is allowed to pass through. Regardless of which type of valve problem occurs, the symptoms are very similar. They include shortness of breath, fatigue, palpitations or a heart murmur, chest pain (angina), swollen ankles or feet, and dizziness. Swelling and feinting are more common with incompetence while palpitations and murmurs are more common with stenosis. The chest pain is caused from the heart having to struggle with itself to pump the blood through properly and often occurs with both types of valve problems. Incompetence may also lead to blood in the lungs and can make you cough up blood.

While it may not be a common problem, faulty heart valves can be tricky to spot. There are some risk factors that can also lead you to at least monitor your heart valves. By acting early, you can reduce your risks and may even be able to avoid surgery. While 1 in 4 people over 65 may have cardiomyopathy, only a small percentage of these people actually develop heart valve problems. The risk factors of heart valve disease are rheumatic fever as a child (extremely rare in developed nations but still common in many countries), congenital deformity (usually involves being born with two valve flaps instead of three and happens at birth), Cardiomyopathy (thickening or dilated muscle tissue in the heart), age (becomes more common after 75 as the valves become less flexible, stretched, or torn), and stiffening of the arteries. While none of these signal the need for a new valve, they put you at higher risk of developing a faulty heart valve later in life. While you can be diagnosed with a minor problem or as a high risk for a faulty heart valve, this does not always mean that you need surgery. Some people choose to live with a more minor problem. The surgery, while usually safe, can be a little complicated and currently involves stopping your heart for several hours. There is a new procedure being researched that does not involve the heart stoppage, but that may not be as safe or effective.

While there are no medications that can fix valve problems, there are some things that you can do that do not involve surgery. This includes diet changes and some other lifestyle changes. There are two great diets published for the public that can not only help those with heart problems, but anyone that wants to live a more healthy life. The first is the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes(TLC) diet. This one was published by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and is great advice for anyone that needs to lower cholesterol. It is a great tool and free to anyone that is willing to download it. There is a lot more good information available on the website. The other diet is the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH). This one is more for those with hypertension or desire a diet that is not necessarily low in cholesterol. While these will not cure the problem, they will go a long way in preventing it and can extend the amount of time before you will require surgery.

The surgery is a simple procedure, but can be quite dangerous. The nature of the surgery is risky and anytime people begin to cut near your heart there is a little more risk involved. One of the things that make these procedures more dangerous is that they must stop your heart to perform the surgery. Since the surgery lasts for two to six hours, this can be quite a shock to your body and some people do not recover. There are some more none invasive methods that have been developed and you no longer need open heart procedures to correct the problem. They can now use catheters to insert a balloon and the new valve through the rib cage or even the leg artery. Regardless of which procedure you use to get the new valve, you will have options. There are two types of valves available; mechanical and animal. While mechanical valves (fully manufactured) last longer, there are other side effects and the chances of them being rejected by your body increase. Animal valves (cow or pig tissue formed into a valve) have a lifespan of about 15 years and also have fewer risks and side effects. These are often preferred on secondary surgeries or in older patients that run higher risks.

While there are several different heart problems that you can have, there are several things that you can do to both minimize your risk and prolong the need for surgery. A good diet, active lifestyle, and regular checkups with your physician can save your life. Thankfully, Barbara Walters survived her surgery with no complications. Not everyone will be so lucky.

Sources:

Barbara Walters' Heart Surgery - WebMD

Heart Valve Repair - Cardiac Care

Heart Valve Disease - Information, Symptoms, and Treatment

New Heart Valve Implant Cuts Surgical Risks