What are the warning signs of heart valve disease?
If a heart valve is rendered inefficient by any of the above factors, the heart must compensate by pumping harder to force sufficient blood flow throughout the body’s circulatory system. As a result of this exertion, the heart may enlarge, weaken and eventually fail. These developments can translate into visible external symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain (or angina), dizziness and/or loss of consciousness. How does a physician go about diagnosing heart valve disease? A history and physical can be the initial step in identifying heart valve disease. Patients suspected of having heart valve disease may require additional testing that could include an echocardiogram or cardiac catheterization. An echocardiogram is a visual record of the flow of blood through the heart. Cardiac catheterization is the passage of a small catheter through a vein in the arm, leg or neck to detect cardiac anomalies, among other conditions. What are the treatment options for a patient that has bee
