Valvular Heart Disease
• Can be congenital, develop slowly or may be
acute
• Depending on course of disease, signs and
symptoms may be similar to those seen in
congestive heart failure
– Palpitations with or without chest pain
– Fatigue
– Dizziness or syncope
– Weight gain
• Valve that is unable to close properly allows blood to “leak”
back (regurgitate) into previous chamber
– Defects in pumping action of valves can cause heart to
enlarge and thicken