Aortic Valve Stenosis
When to Call a Doctor
If you experience any of the symptoms of aortic valve stenosis, such as chest pain, fainting, or shortness of breath, call your doctor immediately. Aortic valve stenosis generally does not cause symptoms until the condition has become quite severe. The longer you try to live with symptoms of stenosis and its complications without seeking medical attention, the more you risk getting heart failure.
The table below explains why these symptoms occur.
Aortic valve stenosis Symptom What happens Why you should see a doctor Chest pain
You feel pain or pressure in your chest that may move down the inside of your left arm. At the same time, you may feel as if you are suffocating.
Angina occurs because your heart muscle is not getting enough blood. Angina can be caused by severe aortic stenosis and coronary artery disease (CAD).
Fainting
Fainting or blacking out is usually preceded by light-headedness.
By reducing the heart’s ability to pump blood, aortic stenosis can prevent the brain from receiving enough oxygen-rich blood.
Shortness of breath
Shortness of breath can occur during physical exertion or suddenly during the night.
Shortness of breath may be a sign of heart failure, which is the main complication of aortic valve stenosis.
Palpitations
An uncomfortable awareness of the heart beating rapidly or irregularly. Some people report a vague "fluttering" in their chest or the feeling of a "skipped beat," while others note a "pounding sensation" or feel that their hearts are "jumping out of their chest."
If palpitations occur with fainting, near fainting, or light-headedness, they may be a sign of a heart problem such as an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia).
Watchful waiting
Watchful waiting is a "wait-and-see" approach that is not appropriate if you have chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, or fainting. Contact your doctor immediately.
If you have been diagnosed with aortic valve stenosis but you do not have symptoms, you and your doctor should discuss a plan to check your heart regularly. You may have mild stenosis and have no symptoms for many years. You may never develop symptoms. There is some debate about whether people who don't have symptoms should have valve replacement surgery.
But even if you don't have symptoms, if tests show your left ventricle is not working right or you have an exercise stress test that is abnormal, your doctor may recommend valve replacement.
Who to see
Your family doctor or general practitioner may diagnose aortic valve stenosis during a routine checkup.
If you have any of the symptoms of aortic valve stenosis or heart failure but have not been diagnosed with aortic valve stenosis, you do not necessarily need a referral to see a heart specialist (cardiologist) immediately. Your family doctor can evaluate your symptoms. If your doctor thinks that you do have stenosis, the doctor will likely have you take an echocardiogram.
With mild cases of stenosis, only regular monitoring may be necessary, in which case you may be able to continue seeing your family doctor. If you have (or develop) more severe stenosis, your doctor can help you to decide when to involve a cardiologist in your treatment.
Considerations for children
If a pediatrician detects a heart murmur in a child or teen, the murmur may be a sign of a heart defect that has been present since birth, such as a bicuspid aortic valve
(which has two valve flaps instead of three). In most cases, a pediatrician will recommend an echocardiogram, which can identify a defect. A pediatrician may refer your child to a pediatric cardiologist for further evaluation and treatment.
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| Author: | Douglas Dana Robin Parks, MS | Last Updated: January 22, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine George Philippides, MD - Cardiology Andrew Swan, MD, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine | |
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