You may be born with a faulty heart valve - a condition referred to as a congenital (con-JEN-i-tal) heart valve defect. Or, you can acquire a heart valve problem.  

If your doctor tells you that you have heart valve disease, you will not be alone. The American Heart Association estimates that 5 million Americans will learn this year that they have a heart valve problem (also known as valvular heart disease).  

Valve disease occurs when one or more of the heart's valves does not work the way it should.  Some valve problems are minor and do not need treatment, but should continue to be watched by a doctor.  Others can be serious - and can lead to life-threatening conditions if not treated. More serious valve problems may require that your valve be repaired or replaced, which currently is usually done with open heart surgery. New, less invasive treatments are currently in development.

People who are born with a heart valve problem often have conditions that affect the pulmonary or aortic valves. In many cases, the diseased valve's tissue flaps may not have formed properly: There may not be enough of them or they may not be the right shape. In others, valves may not have formed with an opening through which blood can flow. 

For those who acquire heart valve disease, the aortic and mitral valves are most frequently affected. 

A number of factors may contribute to heart valve disease: 

• Rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever, which can result if strep throat is not treated, can damage the heart's valves, causing them to thicken, restricting their ability to open, to not close properly or both.
• Endocarditis. A bacterial infection of the lining (endocardium) of the heart that can damage the valves.
• Wear and tear with age. With age, valve leaflets become hardened and thick and lose their mobility, detracting from their ability to close and open as they should. Over time, the cords of tissue that hold valve flaps to the heart can become stretched or torn, interfering with the valve's proper function.
• Heart attack. A heart attack, which occurs when a blockage in an artery to the heart muscle starves the heart of oxygen and nutrients and causes damage, can affect valve function.

• High blood pressure. Persistent high blood pressure can cause your heart to work harder, causing the heart's pumping chamber (the left ventricle) to enlarge. As it enlarges, tissues around the heart valves can be stretched, preventing the valve from closing properly.

Risks and Complications of a Faulty Heart Valve

Some people with a heart valve condition may live for years without symptoms - or without any problem. In others, the condition may become worse suddenly or over time.  

If advanced heart valve disease is not treated, it can lead to:

• Heart failure, a condition in which the heart can no longer pump blood the way it should, because it can't fill with enough blood or it lacks the pumping power to send blood to the rest of the body. Symptoms of heart failure include: fatigue; reduced appetite; dry, hacking cough, often worse when lying down; shortness of breath, especially at night; fainting; weight gain and or swelling of the feet, ankles and abdomen.
• Stroke, in which blood flow to the brain is interrupted, either by a blood clot or by a break in a vessel carrying blood to the brain, resulting in brain damage or death.   
• Blood clots, in which the blood clumps as it hardens from a liquid to a solid.  Blood clots can restrict or block the flow of blood to tissues, resulting in tissue damage or death.  

• Death due to sudden cardiac arrest, when the heart stops beating suddenly and unexpectedly.  Death usually occurs if sudden cardiac arrest is not treated within minutes.

Signs and Symptoms of Heart Valve Problems

If you have heart valve disease, you may have no warning signs. Or you may experience some of the following symptoms:  

• Shortness of breath and/or difficulty catching your breath. This can occur during exertion, during normal daily activities or while lying in bed.
• Weakness or dizziness. Passing out or fainting may also indicate valve disease. 
• Chest discomfort, especially when active or when you step out into the cold.  
• Heart palpitations that feel like a fast or irregular heartbeat or like your heart is flip-flopping. 
• Swollen ankles and feet or swelling in the abdomen, possibly with a bloated feeling in your stomach. (You doctor may refer to the swelling as edema (e-DE-ma). 
• Fast weight gain. A two or three pound gain in a day is possible.

Heart valve symptoms are not a reliable indicator of how serious your condition may be. You may have no symptoms but need prompt treatment. Or you may have severe symptoms, but your valve problem may be minor. 

That's why it is important to see a doctor if you experience symptoms of heart valve disease. And if you experience an increase in symptoms, it's critical that you ask to see your doctor immediately.