In heart valve disease, one or more of the valves in your heart doesn't work properly.
Your heart has four valves that keep blood flowing in the correct direction. In some cases, one or more of the valves don't open or close properly. This can cause the blood flow through your heart to your body to be disrupted.
Your heart valve disease treatment depends on the heart valve affected and the type and severity of the valve disease. Sometimes heart valve disease requires surgery to repair or replace the heart valve.

Symptoms

Some people with heart valve disease might not experience symptoms for many years. Signs and symptoms of heart valve disease may include:

Abnormal sound (heart murmur) when a doctor is listening to the heart beating with a stethoscope

Fatigue

Shortness of breath, particularly when you have been very active or when you lie down

Swelling of your ankles and feet

Dizziness

Fainting

Irregular heartbeat

Causes

Your heart has four valves that keep blood flowing in the correct direction. These valves include the mitral valve, tricuspid valve, pulmonary valve and aortic valve. Each valve has flaps (leaflets or cusps) that open and close once during each heartbeat. Sometimes, the valves don't open or close properly, disrupting the blood flow through your heart to your body.
Heart valve disease may be present at birth (congenital). It can also occur in adults due to many causes and conditions, such as infections and other heart conditions.

Heart valve problems may include:

Regurgitation: In this condition, the valve flaps don't close properly, causing blood to leak backward in your heart. This commonly occurs due to valve flaps bulging back, a condition called prolapse.

Stenosis: In valve stenosis, the valve flaps become thick or stiff, and they may fuse together. This results in a narrowed valve opening and reduced blood flow through the valve.

Risk Factors

Several factors can increase your risk of heart valve disease, including:

Older age

History of certain infections that can affect the heart

History of certain forms of heart disease or heart attack

High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and other heart disease risk factors

Heart conditions present at birth (congenital heart disease)

Complications

Heart valve disease can cause many complications, including:

Heart failure

Stroke

Blood clots

Heart rhythm abnormalities

Death

Diagnosis

Tests may include:

Echocardiography. In this test, sound waves directed at your heart from a wandlike device (transducer) held on your chest produce video images of your heart in motion. This test assesses the structure of your heart, the heart valves and the blood flow through your heart. An echocardiogram helps your doctor get a close look at the heart valves and how well they're working. Doctors may also use a 3-D echocardiogram.
Doctors may conduct another type of echocardiogram called a transesophageal echocardiogram. In this test, a small transducer attached to the end of a tube is inserted down the tube leading from your mouth to your stomach (esophagus). This test allows doctors to have a closer look at the heart valves than is possible with a regular echocardiogram.

Electrocardiogram (ECG): In this test, wires (electrodes) attached to pads on your skin measure electrical impulses from your heart. An ECG can detect enlarged chambers of your heart, heart disease and abnormal heart rhythms.

Chest X-ray: A chest X-ray can help your doctor to determine whether the heart is enlarged, which can indicate certain types of heart valve disease. A chest X-ray can also help doctors determine the condition of your lungs.

Cardiac MRI: A cardiac MRI uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of your heart. This test may be used to determine the severity of your condition and assess the size and function of your lower heart chambers (ventricles).

Exercise tests or stress tests: Different exercise tests help measure your activity tolerance and monitor your heart's response to physical exertion. If you are unable to exercise, medications to mimic the effect of exercise on your heart may be used.

Cardiac catheterization: This test isn't often used to diagnose heart valve disease, but it may be used if other tests aren't able to diagnose the condition or to determine its severity.
In this procedure, a doctor threads a thin tube (catheter) through a blood vessel in your arm or groin to an artery in your heart and injects dye through the catheter to make the artery visible on an X-ray. This provides your doctor with a detailed picture of your heart arteries and how your heart functions. It can also measure the pressure inside the heart chambers.