Symptoms of heart valve disease can include:
Some people do not have any symptoms. Sometimes it's found by chance if a doctor hears an unusual sound (a heart murmur) when they listen to your chest.
These symptoms can be caused by many different conditions. Having them does not definitely mean you have heart valve disease. But it's important to get them checked by a GP.
Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.
Bring any medicines you take with you.
If you have symptoms of heart valve disease a GP will listen to your heart.
They may arrange tests or refer you to a heart specialist (cardiologist).
Tests you may have include:
If you have mild heart valve disease and you do not have any symptoms, you may not need treatment. You'll usually have regular check-ups to see if your condition is getting worse.
If you have symptoms or have severe heart valve disease, you may need medicines to:
If you have severe heart valve disease you'll usually need surgery to either:
Heart valve disease affects people differently. It's common to have mild heart valve disease that does not cause any issues, but for some people it can lead to serious health problems.
Your care team will tell you what to expect. They'll also advise on any changes you need to make. This can include healthy lifestyle changes and avoiding strenuous exercise.
Possible complications of heart valve disease include:
It's important to get advice from a heart specialist if you're pregnant or want to get pregnant. Pregnancy can make heart valve disease symptoms worse.
You can usually have a safe pregnancy, but you may need extra monitoring and treatment.
Heart valve disease happens when 1 of your heart valves either:
This means your heart has to work harder to pump blood around your body.
It can affect any of your 4 heart valves, but it's most common in the aortic or mitral valves, on the left side of your heart.
Less commonly it can affect the tricuspid or pulmonary valves, on the right side of your heart.
Heart valve disease can be caused by:
If you have heart valve disease you can get support from charities such as: