Home : health : Aortic Stenosis : Aortic Stenosis- Symptoms, Diagnosis, And Management
Aortic stenosis- Symptoms, diagnosis, and management

Aortic stenosis- Symptoms, diagnosis, and management

Aortic stenosis is a common and severe health condition where the aortic valve (one of the valves that regulate blood flow in the heart) partially close, interfering with heart-related blood flow. This condition can occur for various reasons, and its severity determines the therapy administered. If left untreated for a long time, this condition may lead to severe complications, including heart failure. Some warning signs, causes, and remedies for managing aortic stenosis are listed below.

Symptoms
People may experience various symptoms depending on the severity of the condition. When the valve narrowing is big, more severe and visible symptoms appear. This condition could go unnoticed for many years before becoming critical. Some of the signs of aortic valve stenosis include fast or fluttering heartbeat or palpitations, feeling dizzy or faint after engaging in any activity, chest pain or tightness increased due to movement, irregular heart sounds detected with a stethoscope, breathing troubles (especially when active), exhaustion after increased activity, and loss of appetite. Fatigue, breathlessness, sleeping troubles, and swelling in ankles or feet indicate complications like heart failure.

Causes

Age-related wear and damage
This condition is most commonly diagnosed among people over the age of 65. Blood flow through the arteries may be restricted due to calcium buildup on the valve with age. Lifestyle choices have a direct impact on the heart and its health. 

Damage due to infections
When bacterial infections go untreated, they may build up on heart valves and cause the immune system to harm the valves by itself. It often occurs with strep throat or scarlet fever, which, if left untreated, can result in a condition known as rheumatic fever.

Hereditary or chronic illnesses
Aortic stenosis can also be caused by familial hypercholesterolemia, Paget’s disease of bone, and renal failure. It is also connected to autoimmune or inflammatory illnesses such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Diagnosis
Any primary care physician will refer a patient to a cardiologist for a more thorough examination to look for signs of this condition. It can be determined using several techniques, including:

  • Physical examination – A doctor checks for ankle and lower leg swelling and monitors heartbeats to detect any symptoms.
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) – Sensors are affixed to the chest skin to measure the heart’s electrical activity.
  • Chest X-ray, angiography, or cardiac CT scan – Each method involves X-rays taken to examine the inside of the body.

Treatment
Various treatment options are suggested for managing this condition, like blood thinners for heart rhythm problems and mild cases of aortic stenosis. Valve repair is another option in which the surgeon creates an incision in the chest to fix the valve. A catheter with a balloon attached might be placed into an artery to treat the condition. When a valve cannot be fixed completely, it is replaced through certain procedures like aortic valve surgery, Ross procedure, and more. To increase blood flow and help the heart function more efficiently, the valve, in such scenarios, is replaced with a donor valve.

Top Reads

Top Tags

Popular Reads

4 popular credit cards for college students
finance

4 popular credit cards for college students

A good credit score is essential as it can be a criterion for lucrative job prospects or renting an apartment. Moreover, a good credit score is an uncompromisable necessity while applying for a loan that has terms and conditions that favor you. To ensure that you have a good credit score, it is better to start building it young and early. One of the easiest ways to do so is by applying for a student credit card from prominent credit cards companies. Now, there are several credit cards companies that offer lucrative credit cards, making choosing the right one confusing. To help you narrow down your choices, here are some of the best credit cards companies that offer student credit cards. Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students: One of the biggest credit card companies in the country Bank of America offers a slew of benefits with its student credit card. With each dollar spent using this card, students can earn 1.5 points. This applies to purchases without any caps. The points can be redeemed as discounts on hotels, flights, rental cars, and vacation packages. There are no restrictions or blackout dates applicable for availing these discounts. With no foreign transaction fee or annual fee, the card allows one to earn nearly 25,000 points on spending about $1000 in the first 90 days.
Read More

What you must know about guaranteed business loans

If you’re looking for funding your small business with a loan, you’ll most likely come across the term “guaranteed business loans.” People often misunderstand this term as business loans that are guaranteed to be approved. But, this is not what guaranteed business loans means. To clarify the confusion, let’s understand what the term actually means, and discuss the most popular types of guaranteed business loans. What are guaranteed business loans? In simple terms, guaranteed business loans in the world of small business loans refer to loans that are secured or backed by a guarantee. The guarantee can be in the form of collateral, deposit, or an agreement. This essentially means that the lender is guaranteed to receive their money back even if the borrower fails to pay. When we talk about guaranteed business loans, we refer to loans with a personal guarantee or, more commonly, loans guaranteed by the small business administration (SBA). Let’s take a look at both these types. Personally guaranteed business loans As you understand from the term “personal,” when you make a personal guarantee on a business loan, you essentially agree to sell your assets to pay off the loan, if your business is unable to do so.
finance

5 mistakes to avoid when investing in a high dividend ETF

Exchange-traded funds (ETF) have been gaining popularity in the investment sector for some time now. Along with mutual funds, they have been one of the most preferred investment options among investors. With investors having pumped in billions of dollars in ETFs by now, these funds sure seem like a lucrative investment avenue. However, financial experts suggest treading this path carefully so as to avoid unforeseeable losses. Here are a few mistakes that you can avoid while investing in high dividend ETFs: Overlooking long-term investment Looking at long-term goals is the golden rule when it comes to any type of investment. However, seasoned investors invest in ETFs on a short-term basis through a type of trading called intraday trade. This type of trading allows the investors to buy and sell stocks and other investments on the same day. However, if not thought out carefully, investing in high dividend ETFs through intraday trading can result in lower returns and higher trading costs. Buying an ETF simply based on its name This is one of the most common mistakes people make when investing in high dividend ETFs. Investors may think that an ETF’s name provides an insight into its investment reach, i.e., whether the ETF has local or/and global investors.
finance

How to qualify for a reverse mortgage

A reverse mortgage provides the elderly access to equity in their homes and supplements their income. With its flexible repayment option, it gives homeowners more control over their money. However, the government has laid out strict rules and guidelines concerning reverse mortgage eligibility criteria. So, if you’re considering a reverse mortgage, read on to know the reverse mortgage eligibility criteria and the types of reverse mortgages. Reverse mortgage eligibility criteria The first criterion for a reverse mortgage is that the primary homeowner must be at least 62 years of age. If your spouse is under the age of 62, you might still be eligible if you meet other reverse mortgage eligibility criteria. If you’re not 62 or older than 62, then you won’t qualify for a reverse mortgage even if you satisfy the criteria mentioned below. You must be the primary resident of the home you’re seeking a reverse mortgage for. Note that vacation homes or rental properties do not qualify. You must either entirely own the house or have at least 50% equity in it. If you have any mortgage balance remaining while applying for a reverse mortgage, you must be in a financial position to pay off that balance.
finance

5 benefits of opting for debt settlement

Debt settlement can be a financial lifesaver for many. Managing debt is quite a difficult task. With every advancing payment due date, one may feel their finances getting tighter and tighter. Between paying for a house mortgage, student loans, credit card debt, personal loans, and many other debts, it is quite common to miss out on paying one payment. Although it may not seem like a big problem initially, this is not good for financial health in the long term. This is where debt settlement comes in. There are multiple benefits to availing debt settlement offered by some of the top 10 debt settlement companies. No more bills With debt settlement, no more bills will be incoming in the mailbox. Debt settlement results in the closure of a debt account by the creditor. In such cases, one will not be able to use their credit cards again. However, this can be beneficial since it will prevent further debt in the future. With debt settlement, there is a permanent erasure of debt. No more collection calls With mounting debt, the calls of creditors are always incessant. If one if falling behind on too many bills, they are bound to be subjected to creditor calls throughout the day.
finance