Your heart's four valves
Four valves — mitral, tricuspid, aortic and pulmonary — act like one-way doors, keeping blood moving in the right direction. Problems arise when a valve becomes narrowed (stenosis) and doesn't open fully, or leaky (regurgitation) and doesn't close properly.
Common causes
- Age-related calcium build-up — the main cause of aortic stenosis in elderly people
- Rheumatic heart disease after childhood throat infections — still common in India, often affecting the mitral valve
- Heart attacks or heart failure that stretch the valve
- Valve problems present from birth
Symptoms to watch for
- Breathlessness on walking or when lying flat
- Chest pain, giddiness or fainting on exertion
- Swelling of the feet, tiredness and palpitations
An echocardiogram is the key test to diagnose valve disease — it is painless and takes about 20 minutes.
Treatment without opening the chest
Many patients who were once told they were 'too old' or 'too high-risk' for surgery can now be treated through a catheter:
- TAVR/TAVI replaces a narrowed aortic valve through the groin.
- MitraClip repairs a leaking mitral valve through a leg vein.
- Balloon mitral valvotomy opens a narrowed rheumatic mitral valve.
- Valve-in-valve procedures replace a worn-out surgical valve without repeat surgery.
This article is for general awareness and does not replace personal medical advice. Please consult your cardiologist before changing any medicine. In an emergency, call 108.