These Are the 2 Biggest Signs of Heart Valve Damage, According to Cardiologists

Emily Laurence
·5 min read

Mature woman getting a heart checkup with her cardiologist

The possibility that something could be wrong with your heart can be alarming, to say the least. Certainly, everyone wants a healthy heart, which includes not only the heart itself but valves, which are important for blood flow. There are several ways that heart valves can become damaged and when this happens, it can be life-threatening.

To avoid this risk, it’s important to know how to recognize the signs that you could need a valve replacement and what to expect if you do need surgery.

Related: Your Live-Well Guide to Maintaining Heart Health and Preventing Heart Disease

What Are Heart Valves and How Can They Become Damaged?

Dr. Arash Bereliani, MD, a cardiologist, medical director of the Beverly Hills Institute for Cardiology and Preventive Medicine, and the co-founder of B100 Method, explains that heart valves allow for the blood to enter the heart and then to get pumped out of the heart to the lungs and the rest of the body. “The valves prevent the blood from returning back, or leaking back, to the heart or to the lungs once the blood is pumped,” he says.

Interventional cardiologist and Reveal Vitality founder Dr. Christopher Davis, MD, FACC, explains that the heart has four main valves; two on the right side and two on the left side. “There are four chambers of the heart too. The two at the top are the left atrium and right atrium and the bottom chambers are the left ventricle and right ventricle. In between the [top] chambers are valves, which help with blood flow,” Dr. Davis says. He explains that blood must move through the heart in a certain sequence and the valves are what help keep the blood flowing in the right direction.

Related: This Is the Worst Habit for Heart Health, According to Cardiologists

Dr. Davis says there are valves between the two bottom chambers as well. “When the bottom chamber of the heart squeezes, that’s where the blood gets squeezed out to the rest of the body,” he explains, adding that blood goes out of the chamber into the aorta, which is one of the four main valves and is the main blood vessel through which oxygen and nutrients travel from the heart to other organs throughout the body.

With all this in mind, heart valves are important because they keep blood flowing in the right direction and ensure oxygen and nutrients reach all the body’s organs.

There are a few ways a heart valve can get damaged. Dr. Bereliani says that one way is having high blood pressure. “Constant high blood pressure on the valves can significantly damage the valves over months to years,” he says.

Dr. Davis emphasizes that valve damage is not only caused by poor dietary habits, explaining, “Diet is often talked about in connection to heart disease, but valve damage has different causes. A poor diet may contribute to valve damage but it’s not the primary cause of it.”

Dr. Bereliani adds that heart valves can get damaged due to infection, which he says can come from illicit IV drug use or a bacterial tooth infection. It’s also possible for the body’s immune system to get stimulated by certain infections which directly attack heart valves. “This condition is seen in certain patients who get ‘strep throat infection’ and is called rheumatic fever,” Dr. Bereliani explains. 

Lastly, Dr. Bereliani says that some individuals are born with an abnormal heart valve which, over time, can become further damaged and eventually require surgery.

Related: Want To Improve Your Heart Health Quickly? Here's How, According to Doctors

What Are the Signs of Heart Valve Damage and How Is It Treated?

While valve damage can happen suddenly, most of the time it’s something that occurs slowly over time, Dr. Davis shares. Both doctors say that signs and symptoms of valve damage can vary, but the main ones to be aware of are shortness of breath (particularly during exercise or any form of exertion) and chest pain or discomfort (typically during exertion but can also happen at rest).

What’s tricky about these signs of valve damage is that they can mimic other heart problems, Dr. Bereliani says. He also adds that, often, there are not any signs of valve damage until the damage is quite severe. This can make it difficult to catch early. Other signs of valve damage include dizziness, a painful red rash on the lower extremities and bluish discoloration of the fingernails and toenails. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s important to see a doctor ASAP.

“It is important for everyone regardless of age or gender to have a baseline checkup and physical exam to rule out any existing valve problem,” Dr. Bereliani says. “Even if only a minor abnormality of a heart valve is noted by the physician, the individual should see a cardiologist. I recommend that every man and woman 40 or older see a cardiologist in addition to their primary care doctor for an accurate assessment of their heart health.”

If a heart valve is damaged, it’s likely you will need valve replacement surgery. While any surgery that involves the heart is serious, both doctors emphasize that valve surgeries are safe and, typically, don’t even involve opening the chest.

It bears repeating that heart valves play a crucial role in blood flow; it’s important to have functioning valves. While certainly maintaining a heart-healthy diet and exercising regularly are important for everyone’s heart health, valve damage can be caused by factors that are completely unrelated to diet. This is why it’s important to stay on top of your annual checkups and to see a doctor immediately if you are experiencing any of the symptoms associated with valve damage. With this in mind, you’ll be doing your part to keep your valves in tip-top shape!

Next up, check out these seven ways to keep your heart healthy.

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