| |
Mitral Valve* |
Aortic Valve |
| Chest pain (angina) or tightness |
Yes, but rarely |
Uncommon |
| Fatigue during activity |
Yes |
Yes |
| Shortness of breath, especially during physical activity |
Yes |
Occasional |
| Heart palpitations (rapid, fluttering heartbeat) |
Yes |
Yes, less common |
| Feeling faint, or fainting (syncope) with exertion |
Uncommon |
Yes |
| Dizziness |
Uncommon |
Yes |
| Heart murmur |
Yes |
Yes; physician may hear this long before other symptoms are obvious |
| Swollen feet and ankles |
Yes |
Yes, less common |
| Frequent respiratory infections (bronchitis, for example) |
Yes |
Uncommon |
| Heavy coughing; blood-tinged mucous |
Yes |
Uncommon |
Why do Valves Need to be Repaired or Replaced?An overworked heart muscle, over time, becomes weaker, which leads to congestive heart failure. Signs and symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, swollen ankles and feet.
Signs and symptoms most often appear between the ages of 20 and 50 but even infants can be born with heart anomalies that your doctor can detect.
*Mitral valve stenosis may cause subtle symptoms only your doctor will be able to find. These include a heart murmur, lung congestion, irregular heartbeat (cardiac arrhythmia), blood clots and pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs)